Hong Myung-bo's successor to be appointed before the Asian Cup in January next year... Interim head coach system to remain through six A-match games until November

*This content was translated by AI.

The South Korean men's national football team will operate under an interim head coach system until just before the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in January next year.

On the 24th, the Korea Football Association (KFA) held its sixth board meeting and approved the procedure for appointing a temporary head coach for the national team. As a result, the vacancy left by former head coach Hong Myung-bo, who resigned after taking responsibility for the team's failure to advance from the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, will be filled temporarily by an interim coach for the time being.

The temporary head coach and coaching staff will be recruited publicly in a "squad" format. In accordance with regulations set by the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, the KFA will conduct selection procedures targeting qualified domestic and foreign coaches. A detailed recruitment announcement is expected to be released sometime next week.

The key point is the guaranteed term of the interim head coach. The association has solidified the interim system through the November A-match period. South Korean football will play a total of six A-match games this year—four in September and October, and two in November—and even if a permanent head coach is confirmed early, all six matches will be entrusted to the interim coach.

While this move is a desperate measure to quickly restore team morale following the premature exit from the World Cup, it amounts to a period of vacancy just before the Saudi Arabia Asian Cup in January next year. The newly appointed permanent head coach will face a schedule where they must immediately challenge for victory in a major tournament without having any practical trial matches to test their tactics and evaluate players upon arrival.

Meanwhile, the association also approved the formation of an election management committee for the upcoming presidential election on this day. Acting President Lee Yong-soo emphasized, "To quickly restore normalcy and rebuild trust within the association, we will promptly process all agenda items approved today in accordance with legal and procedural standards."

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

*This content was translated by AI.