"Where else can you find a manager like this?" vs "He ruined the golden generation"... Expectations and concerns for Martinez amid interest in South Korea's head coach role

*This content was translated by AI.

Expectations and concerns are being voiced simultaneously toward former Portugal national team manager Roberto Martinez (53), who is being mentioned as a candidate for South Korea's next head coach.

The team led by Manager Martinez failed to challenge for the 2026 FIFA World Cup title in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. They lost 0-1 to Spain in the round of 16. The final World Cup for 'superstar' Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr) also ended in vain. Manager Martinez has also stepped down from his role as Portugal's head coach. His contract was originally set to last until this World Cup.

Portuguese media outlet Diario de Noticias reported on the 8th (Korean time), stating, "The Spanish-born manager Martinez announced after losing to Spain and being eliminated in the North America, Central America, and Caribbean World Cup that this match was his final game as Portugal's head coach." Manager Martinez expressed gratitude to the Portuguese people and players, saying, "I am leaving with memories I will cherish forever."

Among the potential destinations for Manager Martinez's next move, South Korea's national team is surprisingly being mentioned. Previously, our publication reported on this news under the headline "[Exclusive] Former Portugal manager Roberto Martinez expresses interest in South Korea national team head coach role... Competing with Bento and Pouyet." Several officials well-versed in the national team situation recently told StarNews that former Manager Martinez has expressed interest in the position of South Korea's next head coach.

Football fans' opinions on this matter are divided. First, Manager Martinez is considered the most prominent figure among the currently mentioned candidates for the national team head coach role. He has been recognized for his coaching abilities after leading Wigan Athletic and Everton in the English Premier League (EPL), and he managed the Belgium national team from 2016 to 2022.

Manager Martinez led Belgium to its best-ever result, third place, at the 2018 Russia World Cup. Belgium defeated Brazil in the quarterfinals to reach the semifinals. Although they lost 0-1 to the then-champion France in the semi-finals, they secured a fitting conclusion by defeating England in the third-place playoff. At that time, Belgium reached as high as second place in the FIFA rankings and enjoyed its golden era.

There were also achievements with the Portugal national team. Manager Martinez led Portugal to win the 2025 UEFA Nations League. Considering his experience in the EPL and his track record of managing European powerhouses like Belgium and Portugal consecutively, his weight compared to other candidates is undeniable.

However, there are also significant concerns. The teams Belgium and Portugal that Manager Martinez managed were both filled with star players, earning them the title of 'golden generation.' Yet, they failed to reach the pinnacle of the World Cup. In particular, at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Belgium suffered the shocking result of being eliminated in the group stage. Criticism against Manager Martinez at that time was also fierce.

Currently, Manager Martinez is linked not only with South Korea but also as a candidate for the Scotland national team head coach role. Regarding this, The Sun in the UK expressed somewhat negative views. The media reported, "Martinez is a manager who has received high praise after achieving success at Swansea and Wigan. However, there are growing doubts about his recent reputation on the international stage."

It further pointed out, "He failed to achieve success with Belgium's 'golden generation.' Portugal was also one of the favorites for the North America, Central America, and Caribbean World Cup title, but they were eliminated weakly in the round of 16 after losing 0-1 to Spain."

The Sun also explained, "Manager Martinez faced criticism for failing to properly utilize another 'golden generation' of Portugal, which included Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Vitinha, and Joao Neves (all Paris Saint-Germain). Fans quickly turned their backs on Martinez. Jokes even poured out about which star squad he would ruin next."

Among South Korean football fans, opinions are also divided for similar reasons. There is expectation that he is a 'super-large candidate' with experience of finishing third in the World Cup and winning the Nations League, while there are also concerns that despite possessing powerful rosters, he failed to reach the pinnacle of major tournaments.

Manager Martinez himself, during his final press conference with the Portugal national team, assessed that he led 45 matches with 30 wins and achieved victories such as winning the 2025 Nations League, but also expressed regret, saying, "My goal in coming to Portugal was to win the World Cup. Since I failed to achieve that goal, it is right for me to leave."

The team led by former Manager Hong suffered a tragedy with the worst result in history, '34th place overall,' at this North America, Central America, and Caribbean World Cup. When they were drawn into Group A along with host nation 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 the group. In particular, South Korea lost 0-1 to South Africa in the final group stage match, where a draw would have secured second place in the group 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 teams among the twelve third-place finishers to advance to the round of 32. However, South Korea finished only 10th in the third-place rankings. Ultimately, they ended their journey at the North America, Central America, and Caribbean World Cup without even stepping onto the tournament stage. After it was confirmed that Hong would be eliminated from the group stage, he held a press conference and announced his resignation.

Now South Korea must find a new head coach. It is reported that Manager Martinez, former manager Paulo Bento who led South Korean football, and former manager Gus Poyet who brought the championship to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors last year have shown interest in the South Korea national team head coach role. Names of domestic coaches such as FC Seoul manager Kim Ki-dong and Incheon United manager Yoon Jung-hwan were also mentioned, but the two managers showed cautious reactions regarding their respective Mo Du (CEO) teams' coaching positions.

The problem is that there is not much time. Although the North America, Central America, and Caribbean World Cup ended regretfully, the 2027 AFC Asian Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia next January. The schedule is very tight to organize the team and build a new coaching system.

Foreign media are also paying attention to South Korea's issue of appointing its next coach. TalkSport in the UK reported, "South Korea is likely to want a quick appointment to find Hong's successor. South Korea has another major tournament ahead in six months," adding that it is "the Asian Cup to be held in Saudi Arabia."

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*This content was translated by AI.