Why Moreno Was Appointed as South Korea’s Interim Coach: “He Understands Korean Football Well”

The Korea Football Association chose Roberto Moreno as South Korea’s interim coach after what it described as the first open recruitment process for either the men’s or women’s senior national team. Hong Young-pyo, chairman of the association’s technical development committee, explained the decision in a video released on the federation’s KFATV official channel.

The association’s board approved Moreno’s appointment on Sept. 1 at Korea Football Park in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. Hong said the federation faced concerns about openly recruiting a men’s national-team coach, and the process itself showed how difficult that approach could be in football. Still, he said the association wanted a procedure with clear legitimacy to help restore public trust.

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We thought choosing a method with clear procedural legitimacy was a way to regain at least some public trust, given the current situation at the football association.

Candidates submitted certificates, résumés, personal statements and detailed plans for running the national team. Those plans had to address player selection, a playing model and the division of responsibilities among the coaching staff. The federation assessed applications, conducted remote interviews and selected the five highest-scoring coaching groups for further consideration. The final interviews examined how well each group could work as a team.

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The Moreno staff gave us confidence that they could take charge of the team immediately, even though they would have only a short period as interim coaches.

Moreno’s staff received high marks for its commitment to the job, its attitude and its knowledge of South Korean football. Hong said the coaches gathered in Spain within 12 hours of the in-person meeting being arranged, despite being spread across the country. They showed detailed knowledge of the national-team squad, mentioned K League players and understood the special character of Gimcheon Sangmu. They also wanted direct communication with South Korean players based in Europe.

Hong pointed to Moreno’s experience managing distinctive top-level players, his background as an analyst, data-driven evaluation and tactical flexibility. The association considered the group the strongest candidate available through the open process. It discussed hiring a permanent coach ahead of next year’s Asian Cup, but an interim contract offered a practical option while changes to the federation’s presidential election system remain under discussion. If Moreno’s staff handles six matches well during its contract, it could lead South Korea at the Asian Cup.

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We consider him the best candidate South Korean football could choose through the open recruitment process.