'Hong Myung-bo's Successor' Also Attracts Overseas Attention; Portugal Responds to Bento's Support... UK Says "South Korea Likely to Want Swift Appointment"

*This content was translated by AI.

With former coach Hong Myung-bo stepping down, the international community is closely watching the issue of who will lead the South Korean national football team next. Portugal has responded regarding the support for former coach Paulo Bento.

Sebastião Sosa Pinto, who reports on Portuguese football transfer market news, stated on his SNS on the 7th (Korea time) that "Coach Paulo Bento conveyed his intention to take over as the South Korean national team coach again after Coach Hong Myung-bo's resignation," adding that "Bento is currently not coaching any team and is ready to take on a new project."

Earlier, this newspaper's StarNews reported on the 6th under the headline "[Exclusive] Former Coach Paulo Bento Applies for Next South Korean National Team Head Coach Position." Multiple sources familiar with the national team situation told StarNews that Coach Bento has applied for the next head coach position of the South Korean national team. Based on our comprehensive reporting, it was confirmed that some foreign coaches, including Coach Bento, are showing interest in the South Korean national team head coach position.

Portuguese national Paulo Bento is a former head coach who led the South Korean national team. He coached the South Korean national team from 2018 to 2022. Known as the longest-serving coach of the South Korean national team, Coach Bento achieved significant results during his tenure. He led the team to victory in the 2019 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship and guided South Korea to the Round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. This was South Korea's first appearance in the World Cup Round of 16 since the 2010 South Africa tournament, 12 years later.

However, Coach Bento and South Korean football parted ways as their contract expired after the Qatar World Cup.

After that, Coach Bento took charge of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) national team in July 2023, continuing his coaching career on the Asian stage. However, he was dismissed in March 2025 due to poor performance during the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian third qualifying round. Since then, he has not yet found a new team.

Before taking charge of the South Korean national team, he coached Chongqing Dangdai Lifan (China), Olympiacos (Greece), Cruzeiro (Brazil), the Portugal national team, and Sporting CP (Portugal).

Under former coach Hong, South Korea suffered a disaster with its worst-ever performance in this North America-Central America-Caribbean (CONCACAF) World Cup: "34th place overall." When they were drawn into Group A along with host Mexico, Czech Republic, and South Africa, there was an assessment that it was a group worth competing in. However, the result was one win and two losses, finishing third in Group A. In particular, South Korea lost 0-1 to South Africa in the final group stage match of the group stage, where a draw would have secured second place in Group A and advancement to the Round of 32. It was a fatal defeat.

This tournament allowed not only the top two teams from each group but also the eight best-performing third-placed teams among the 12 third-place teams to advance to the Round of 32. However, South Korea finished only 10th in the third-place rankings. Ultimately, South Korea ended its North America-Central America-CONCACAF World Cup journey without even reaching the tournament stage. After it was confirmed that former coach Hong's team would be eliminated from the group stage, he held a press conference and announced his resignation.

As the national team seeks a new head coach, names of several candidates are being mentioned. Coach Kim Ki-dong, who leads FC Seoul in K League 1, and Coach Yoon Jeong-hwan of Incheon United were mentioned as potential candidates. However, both coaches showed cautious reactions to rumors about their appointments to Mo Du (CEO) teams.

Coach Kim Ki-dong said on the 5th, shortly after the 16th round of K League 1 against Incheon, "Even if an opportunity comes, I have no intention of taking charge right now." On the same day, Coach Yoon Jeong-hwan also drew a line by saying, "Thank you, but I am still far from ready. The national team coach position has always been a dream, but my current position is not yet at that stage." Amidst this, the possibility of former coach Bento returning to the national team has emerged as a new variable.

South Korean football does not have much time. Although the North America-Central America-CONCACAF World Cup ended regretfully, the 2027 AFC Asian Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia next January. It is a very tight schedule to organize the team and prepare for the Asian Cup.

For this reason, British media also focused on South Korea's issue of appointing the next coach. UK TalkSport stated, "South Korea is likely to want a swift appointment to find Hong Myung-bo's successor. South Korea has another major tournament in six months," adding that it is "the Asian Cup to be held in Saudi Arabia." The search for Hong Myung-bo's successor is becoming an issue of interest not only domestically but also overseas.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.