"Hong Myung-bo, the on-site coach, is me" controversy: Former senior coach of the World Cup team gives surprise interview → Why mention the South Korean national team?

*This content was translated by AI.

As rumors continue to circulate about Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), a key midfielder for the South Korean national football team, potentially transferring to FC Porto, Joao Arroso, who previously coached Hwang as senior coach under Hong Myung-bo's staff, has also lent support to this transfer speculation.

According to a report by Portuguese media outlet 'Record' on the 13th (Korean time), former senior coach Arroso, in an interview, highly praised Hwang In-beom's technical abilities and his potential for success on the Portuguese stage.

Arroso, who served as senior coach for the South Korean national team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, expressed unwavering trust in his former student Hwang In-beom during an interview with local Portuguese media. In the interview, Arroso compared Hwang's playing style to that of Joao Moutinho, a legendary figure from Porto and a former midfielder for the Portugal national team.

According to 'Record', he stated, "Hwang In-beom's playing style strongly reminds me of Moutinho." He added, "Although not as flamboyant as Moutinho, Hwang possesses exceptional vision in reading the game from midfield, along with intelligent positioning and precise passing that help maintain the team's overall balance between offense and defense."

Former coach Arroso was recruited by the Korea Football Association at the launch of Hong Myung-bo's staff in July 2024 to enhance tactical synergy. He led the Portuguese coaching staff within the national team and was the one who coached Hwang In-beom most closely.

However, former coach Arroso previously sparked controversy due to a single interview. In an interview with Portuguese media outlet 'Bola na Rede' last April, he stated, "What the Football Association expected from me was the on-site head coach," and "While Coach Hong Myung-bo is the central figure of the project, the Association actually wanted someone who would organize training sessions and develop game plans." These remarks caused significant uproar.

At the time, intense controversy arose within and outside the domestic football community questioning whether Coach Hong Myung-bo was merely a figurehead without real authority, while former coach Arroso held actual control over tactics. In response, Arroso immediately took steps to manage the situation via his personal social networking service (SNS) and even requested the voluntary removal of the interview article itself.

Following South Korea's elimination from the World Cup and rumors of Hwang In-beom transferring to a prestigious club in his home country, Arroso guaranteed, "Hwang In-beom's game management skills perfectly meet the tactical requirements of Portugal's Primeira Liga and FC Porto."

Earlier, another Portuguese media outlet 'A Bola' also compared Hwang In-beom to Moutinho during an interview with former South Korean national team head coach Paulo Bento, praising him as "a player with extraordinary understanding of the game. Although not tall, he is extremely aggressive in duels and shows no fear."

According to foreign media outlets including football specialist 'OneFootball', FC Porto has reportedly begun efforts to sign Hwang In-beom. Local reports indicate that Porto has already made contact with Hwang's agent.

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*This content was translated by AI.