The Korea Football Association sacked German coach Jürgen Klinsmann in February after the team failed to win the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in Qatar. Since then, a power-building committee centered on former chairman Chung Eui-sung has led the search for a new coach. The committee narrowed down the field to four candidates after 10 meetings with more than 100 domestic and foreign candidates.

However, it has been a frustrating four months without a new coach. In the process, two coaches, Hwang Sun-hong and Kim Do-hoon, took the helm on an interim basis and coached two World Cup qualifiers.

Hwang Sun-hong and Kim Do-hoon accepted the interim role for the sake of Korean soccer. He understood the need for an interim coach as the Korean Football Association was cautiously searching for a new head coach. Both coaches believed that Korean soccer is in a crisis, so they accepted the interim role.

The list of candidates compiled by Jeon Kwang-wei includes both local and international names. Hervé Renard, the head coach of the French women’s national soccer team, who led Saudi Arabia to a surprise victory over Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, was reportedly one of the candidates, and some soccer insiders said he was a big name. The fact that a big-name coach was being sought was enough to convince the KFA to appoint an interim coach.

However, the news of a new coach did not come until a month after the second interim coach took over. Former Leeds United boss Jesse Marsh, who had been linked to the job due to his association with Hwang Hee-chan during his time at Salzburg, fell through due to financial differences.

Following the breakdown of talks with Marsh, several international names have been floated as possible candidates for the job. Former Greece national team coach Gus Poyet and former Norwich City manager David Wagner are the latest to be approached by the KFA. KFA engineer Lee Im-sung flew to Europe last week to meet with the two coaches. In addition to the two, Serbian coach Dragan Stojkovic was also confirmed to be on the list. Given the KFA’s announcement last week that it would announce a new coach within a week, speculation grew that one of the three would take the reins.

On May 5, Chung Mong-kyu, the chairman of the Korea Football Association, spoke to reporters at the ‘One Mind Football Competition’ organized by the KFA and said, “I have not yet received any reports regarding the appointment of the national team. I heard that technical director Lee Im-sang is working hard. I think the public opinion will be 45% to 55% no matter who is chosen. No one becomes a coach with 50% support. Even if (former Manchester United manager) Alex Ferguson comes, it won’t be easy.”

The Korea Football Coaches Association has criticized Chung Mong-kyu, the president of the Korea Football Association, for his dithering over the appointment of the national team’s head coach.

The KFA said, “The recent resignation of National Strength and Conditioning Committee Chairman Jeong Hae-sung is practically a dismissal. Chairman Chung Mong-kyu had appointed the coach he wanted, but when he recommended another coach, it was the result of distrust and burden on Chairman Chung and the entire committee itself.”

“From the appointment of Chairman Jung Jung-sung to his de facto dismissal, Chairman Jung Mong-kyu’s management of the association has proven time and time again how crude and tinkering it is,” the leaders’ association said, adding, “The leaders’ association has repeatedly voiced concerns and warnings about the backward management behavior of the association on behalf of many soccer players.”

“When Korean soccer was going through its toughest time, Jung Jung-sung stood at the forefront of the reinforcement committee comprised of field soccer players and bore the brunt of the criticism,” the leaders’ association said. “He was given the enormous task of hiring a world-class coach with a budget that was barely enough to cover the penalties 먹튀검증업체 순위 of his predecessor Klinsmann. “The federation already knew that the salary we offered was unacceptable,” he adds.

“It is no secret that President Chung Mong-kyu was the final decision maker in the entire process, but he only blamed the footballers and we were unable to hear any position statement from him,” they protested, adding, “We point out his hypocritical behavior and urge him to stop using footballers as bridesmaids and expendable for a fourth term.”

President Chung Mong-kyu and the Korea Football Association ultimately chose Hong Myung-bo. On July 7, the Korea Football Association officially announced that “Ulsan HD head coach Hong Myung-bo Hong has been appointed as the next national team coach,” and that “Lee Im-saeng will give a briefing on related matters at 11 a.m. on the 8th at the Football Hall.”

The Korea Football Association said, “Coach Hong Myung-bo and Lee Im-saeng met after the K League match on Friday. After much deliberation, coach Hong Myung-bo delivered his acceptance late yesterday (June 6),” the KFA explained.

Hong took over the reins of the national team in June 2013, replacing former coach Choi Kang-yi. He stepped down in the wake of criticism after the team was knocked out of the group stage of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with one draw and two losses.

He later served as the executive director of the Korea Football Association before being named head coach of Ulsan HD in 2021, and is currently in the prime of his coaching career, having won back-to-back K League titles with the club.

Hong’s departure comes as he has two years left on his contract with Ulsan. Article 12 (Appointment of managers, coaches, etc.), paragraph 2, of the National Coach Selection Regulations states that the association must “notify the manager of the club if the person appointed in paragraph 1 (managers, coaches and trainers of the national team at each level shall be appointed by the board of directors on the recommendation of the National Power Enhancement Committee or the Technical Development Committee in accordance with the ‘National Coach Selection Standards’) belongs to the club, and the manager of the club shall comply unless there is a special reason not to.

Kim Kwang-guk, CEO of Ulsan HD, said, “It didn’t come out of nowhere. It was decided while thinking about the development of Korean soccer and the development of the K League as well as the development of the club,” said Kim Kwang-guk, CEO of Ulsan HD.