"I won't join the national team," K League legends firmly decline... Who will drink from the 'poisoned chalice' of Hong Myung-bo's successor? "Ventura?"

*This content was translated by AI.

Several candidates have emerged as potential successors to former South Korea national team head coach Hong Myung-bo. Current K League professional club coaches and former coach Paulo Ventura (58) are among those mentioned.

The South Korean national team was eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage in North, Central America, and the Caribbean with one win and two losses (three points). Despite assembling a top-tier squad featuring Son Heung-min (LAFC), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), they failed to advance past the round of 32. Coach Hong Myung-bo, whose appointment process was already mired in controversy over fairness, voluntarily resigned immediately after the elimination.

The national team must play A-match fixtures in September and October this year and also prepare for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia next January. Urgent efforts are needed to find a new head coach, but the situation is far from straightforward. With Chairman Jeong Mong-gyu's resignation, the association's administrative system has been halted, and the process of narrowing down candidates will likely take considerable time.

Amid this, several coaches have been proposed as next head coach candidates by football fans. Kim Ki-dong, head coach of FC Seoul leading K League 1, is a prime example. Yoon Jeong-hwan, head coach of Incheon United who won the K League 1 Coach of the Year award for the 2024 season and the K League 2 Coach of the Year award for the 2025 season, and Lee Jung-hyo, head coach of Suwon Samsung Bluewings, are also on the shortlist.

However, both Kim Ki-dong and Yoon Jeong-hwan have strongly denied recent rumors about their potential appointment as national team head coaches. Following the 16th round of K League 1 against Incheon on the 5th, Coach Kim Ki-dong firmly declined, stating, "Even if an opportunity arises, I have no intention of taking charge at this moment."

Coach Yoon Jeong-hwan also dismissed the possibility of joining the national team on the same day. He said, "I appreciate being considered, but I still feel quite unprepared. While coaching the national team has always been a dream, my current position is not yet at that level."

Rumors also circulated about former coach Paulo Ventura's return after leading South Korea to the Round of 16 in the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Recent reports suggesting Ventura applied for the South Korean national team head coach role have further fueled expectations.

However, accelerating the selection process for a new coach appears difficult in the near term. The Power Strengthening Committee held its first meeting on the 3rd but only reviewed general directions. Since electing the next Football Association president must occur first, finalizing the head coach appointment is expected to take additional time.

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*This content was translated by AI.