'The de facto commander of Hong Myung-bo's team,' the person who claimed this title, stood proudly at the center of controversy... 'With miserable words,' a 'national self-sabotage' went unnoticed by both mice and birds [World Cup Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

A series of humiliating exits followed. Joao Aroso, the Portuguese-born senior coach who claimed to be a key aide and tactical lead for former South Korea national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo, also met a bitter end.

Just before the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup, Senior Coach Aroso found himself at the center of controversy through an interview with his country's media outlets. At the time of South Korea's 2-1 comeback victory against Czech Republic in the first group stage match, he was under intense spotlight.

Indeed, Portuguese media outlet 'Bola na Hede' reported last June: "With Aroso as senior coach, South Korea secured three points in the first group stage match with a 2-1 comeback win against Czech Republic." The report further stated, "Under Coach Aroso's system, South Korea won thanks to Hwang In-beom's equalizing goal and Oh Hyeon-gyu's winning goal," praising his successful run.

However, the glory was short-lived. After Hong Myung-bo's team suffered consecutive 0-1 defeats against Mexico and South Africa, finishing with one win and two losses in the group stage, Portuguese representative media outlet 'A Bola' noted: "With South Korea eliminated early from the group stage, Coach Hong Myung-bo resigned, and the Portuguese senior coach Aroso also concluded his journey with the team."

Senior Coach Aroso had previously caused controversy with somewhat bizarre remarks while active in the national team. In an interview with 'Bola na Hede' last April, Senior Coach Aroso explained his background for joining: "After former coach Jurgen Klinsmann's resignation, the Korea Football Association wanted a Korean commander. At the same time, they were also seeking a European-born coach to oversee training and match planning." He stated that the football association approached him in this context, leading to an interview and his subsequent appointment.

Especially shocking was his arrogant remark regarding role division. At the time, Senior Coach Aroso claimed: "What the football association expected from me was a field commander. While Coach Hong Myung-bo was the central figure of the project, the association wanted someone to organize training and set match plans." This effectively portrayed himself as the de facto commander.

Not stopping there, Coach Aroso also hinted at his deep involvement in coaching staff composition and personnel decisions: "The football association even requested assistance with coaching staff formation. Initially, they brought in Thiago Maia as an analyst, and later both the physical coach and goalkeeping coach were people I recommended."

Immediately after these remarks became known domestically, causing a stir, Coach Aroso took immediate damage control through his personal social networking service (SNS): "It is an honor to be with the South Korean national team under Coach Hong Myung-bo's leadership. Coach Hong Myung-bo is a leader with rare capabilities and a dedicated attitude." He also caused further commotion by requesting media outlets to delete articles through the football association, becoming the center of controversy that invited unnecessary noise even before the World Cup.

In that interview, Senior Coach Aroso also expressed strong confidence regarding the three-back based tactics introduced after South Korea secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup finals. He stated: "While discussing with Coach Hong Myung-bo, we concluded it could be interesting to deploy five players when lowering the defensive line." He further asserted: "Although training time was insufficient, the 3-4-3 formation was very effective and players accepted it well. Through September's A-matches, the strategy became more solidified, and South Korea is now prepared to utilize both formations."

However, Senior Coach Aroso, who had boldly claimed responsibility for overall tactical planning and expressed confidence, saw his tactics end in complete failure on the finals stage. The national team entered the tournament based on three-back tactics but exposed their lack of tactical capabilities, ultimately suffering a 0-1 defeat against South Africa, the weakest opponent they were supposed to beat, in the final group stage match with lifeless performance. In the end, South Korea missed its chance to advance to the round of 32 through its own efforts, experiencing the worst humiliation in history by finishing 34th out of 48 nations in the first-ever 48-team format tournament.

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*This content was translated by AI.