The formation of coaches for the men's national soccer team led by head coach Hong Myung-bo has not been completed. As the work has been delayed for more than a month since Hong's appointment, concerns are growing over whether preparations for the final qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup in North Korea and the U.S., which is just next month, can be made properly.
According to the Korea Football Association on Wednesday, individual agreements have been reached on two coaches from Korea and two from Europe. However, individuals have to wait several more days before the official announcement as they have to sign contracts with their respective teams and adjust details. It could be delayed as early as this week or as late as next week.
Even if the announcement is made soon, it is too late. Less than a month is left before the first preliminary match of the final preliminary round. The Korean team will play the first round of the third Asian qualifying round against Palestine on May 5 and then embark on an away match against Oman on May 10. The final roster of the team will be announced on May 26, and the team should convene on May 2. Considering this schedule, the new coaches will have more than a week to identify the players and share Hong's tactical philosophy. In particular, foreign coaches who have low understanding of Korean players are expected to face even greater difficulties.
In a press conference on Hong's appointment last month, technical director Lee Im-saeng said, "Hong has an advantage over foreign coaches, citing the tight time to prepare for the final qualifying round and the difficulty in identifying players." He added, "Candidates such as former Greek national team coach Gus Foyet and former Norwich City coach David Wagner have experience in big leagues and have firm philosophy, but there is not enough time to apply to the national team." However, the team failed to form a coach team for more than a month, and the advantages of appointing a Korean coach have disappeared.
The composition of the coaching staff has been delayed due to various reasons. Hong traveled overseas from the beginning to seek a European coach, and the association spent time negotiating with the coaches it selected. As controversy arose over fairness including omission of interview procedures in the process of appointing a coach, Hong and the association had to explain about this. Coach Hong, who cited completion of the "MIK Project," which calls for accepting the coach's position to apply tactical philosophy from the A team to the national team of all ages, went to Busan to see the players of the under-19 national team and held MIK workshops with Korean leaders.
Some even ask why he insisted on serving as a coach in Korea if this is the case. A foreign coach has no difficulty in forming a coach team as the division moves together, even if it takes time to form a team. Former coach Paulo Bento brought his division to the national team as it was and reduced preparation time.
When the association pulled Hong out of the team during the K-League season, it caused difficulties in forming a coaching staff. Ulsan HD, the former team, is in the midst of a race to win the title as it is a team that has won two consecutive K-League 1 championships. With Hong lost to the national team, it cannot afford to let go of even coaches such as Seigo Ikeda.
In such a difficult situation, only the merits of a foreign leader are highlighted. Bento, a Portuguese coach, previously helped the national team players advance overseas by calling the club in person when Park joined Portimonens (Portugal) last year, and when Kim joined Brentford (England), he personally wrote a letter of recommendation.
Coach Hong's division plans to be joined by a European tactical coach. Although Hong or the association emphasized Korea's own tactical philosophy, he admitted that Korea still has some parts to follow overseas advanced soccer. In many ways, people are constantly asking what is the advantage of the appointment of a domestic coach.