Portugal coach Paulo Bento needed a new turning point after stepping down after the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Another world of the four-year cycle of the World Cup has opened.
It was different from the previous world. The 2026 North Korea-China World Cup is a tournament that has not been experienced. As the number of participating countries increased from 32 to 48, the number of tickets allocated to Asia increased from 4.5 to 8.5. South Korean soccer, which has succeeded in advancing to the World Cup finals for 10 consecutive times, has created an environment where it can draw a bigger picture. But he failed to take advantage of the opportunity. '2701 Controversy' was the seed. Whether it's external forces or internal policies of the Korea Football Association (KFA), the road has flowed in the wrong direction.
'Poverty of Philosophy', the vicious cycle continued. He also entrusted the future to the foreign head coach. Jurgen Klinsmann, a world-renowned star player and German-born coach, has been appointed. There is no need to mention the time after that. It was a series of controversies. Korean soccer is bruised. The unprecedented 'table gate' was a dark self-portrait of the Clinsman era.
It was even more shocking compared to Japanese soccer, which is an eternal rival. It is the continuity of philosophy. Japan has been in charge of coach Hajime Moriyasu since 2018. Moriyasu kept pace with the consistent system of the Japan Football Association (JFA), which put the banner of 「2030 World Cup semifinals, 2050 wins」. It is a 'Japanese model' that can only be implemented by domestic head coaches.
In fact, the KFA was also paying attention to Japan's direction. But he rarely made that choice. After another five months following Klinsmann's 'lost year', he re-established his way as a domestic head coach. There is no turning back the past, but it remains regrettable that `what if I had entered that path right after the Qatar World Cup.' Regardless of whether you like it or not, foreigners and domestic directors are different from each other in the spirit of the times. Foreign cards are not bad as long as they are tied to short-term results. However, the story is different when discussing the future and vision.
This is why Ulsan HD coach Hong Myung-bo accepted the next national team head coach and was appointed. Coach Hong has repeatedly rejected offers to meet with technical directors Lee, who has the full power to negotiate the appointment. It was on the 5th night that the meeting took place. Technical director Lee blindly waited for head coach Hong, who was returning home to his home in the Seoul metropolitan area after the away game against Suwon FC. The biggest reason why Hong changed his mind lies in the KFA's 'technical philosophy'.
On the 20th of last month, the KFA announced the technical philosophy and policies of Korean soccer and the improvement of the national team operation system by age. The report session led by technical director Lee included strategies to strengthen the national team's competitiveness. While pointing out the lack of continuity and direction, the disappearance of individual players' characteristics, and the weakening of Korean values as problems, it unveiled a new technological philosophy called 'fast, courageous, and leading'. At the same time, he declared that he would play consistent soccer that he could maintain in the long run even if the coach changed. He also presented the world 'top 10' and the 'dream' to build a power to stably advance to the semifinals of the World Cup by 2033.
Coach Hong tried to build such a huge discourse when he was the executive director of the KFA, but it did not come true. The technical director's suggestion should not worry fansThe tone of " was bound to falter. Coach Hong threw himself back into the `poisoned Holy Grail' with the determination to lay the framework for realizing the technical philosophy of Korean soccer with his last role as a leader.
Normalization of abnormalities is also urgently needed. Coach Hong will take his first step in the first round of the third Asian qualifying round for the North-China World Cup, which begins in September. He should redefine the fading 'one-team spirit' while the foreign head coach is in charge of the A team. Contrary to what has been revealed, the current national team is in danger as if it were a `one-line' walk. The problem of accompanying a personal therapist is a time bomb that can explode at any time. Rules should be in place regardless of which direction. The second '2701 controversy', 'tablet gate' should never happen. To do so, active communication with players is necessary.
For Team A 'Hong Myung-bo Era' has reopened for the first time in 10 years. I look forward to drawing a different picture from 2014.
