*This content was translated by AI.
'Coach Lee Dong-gook' is now the subject of controversy.
Despite hopes from the football community and fans to appoint the national team head coach through a proper procedure, another controversy has erupted. When former Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors manager Guus Pott applied for the interim head coach position of the South Korea national football team, Lee Dong-gook, currently Yongin FC's Technical Director, was reportedly included as a coach on the same team.
The issue is that Director Lee's coaching career is virtually non-existent, and he has essentially followed an administrative path, serving as vice president of the Korea Football Association (KFA) and Yongin's Technical Director. Nevertheless, there is room for debate over whether it is appropriate for him to go straight to the A national team without any experience.
According to earlier reports from the football community and the Yongin club, Manager Pott applied for the interim head coach position of the South Korea national football team, which will oversee a total of six matches: four A-match games in September-October and two in November. Applications are accepted only in the form of a squad comprising 5 to 7 members, including not just the head coach but also coaches and analysts.
Director Lee Dong-gook was included in Manager Pott's squad as a 'coach.' It is reported that Manager Pott persuaded this director through what is known as "three visits" (a reference to seeking help from a wise person). Manager Pott led Jeonbuk for only the 2025 season, and while Lee is a club legend, he did not play any significant role during Manager Pott's tenure. Instead, he was appointed as Yongin FC's Technical Director in June of that year. Nevertheless, it is reported that Manager Pott repeatedly requested Director Lee to join the national team coaching staff, and Director Lee reluctantly accepted. In fact, this process and its background alone warrant a raised eyebrow.
However, the relationship between Manager Pott and Director Lee itself is not the problem. Whether voluntary or involuntary, it has been common for foreign head coaches leading the Korean national team to work alongside one or two Korean assistant coaches. The core issue lies in Director Lee's 'non-existent' coaching career. After retiring as a player, Director Lee primarily interacted with the public through variety shows. As a footballer, he chose an administrative path. He was appointed vice president of the Korea Football Association in 2023 but resigned amid controversy over his silence during the pardon debate involving match-fixing offenders. He later returned to the football community as an administrator upon his appointment as Yongin's Technical Director.
In this context, suddenly taking the first step as a 'national football team coach' is bound to spark various controversies. There are concerns that appointing someone with no coaching experience to a national team coaching role could be deemed inappropriate and escalate into allegations of special treatment. Just as players aspire to join the national team, it is also the dream of all coaches. Unlike other coaches who nurture their national team dreams through gradual steps, Director Lee Dong-gook's direct appointment to the A national team coaching staff without having demonstrated anything as a coach is not an issue that can be easily accepted in the current domestic football scene, where fairness has become a central topic.
Coincidentally, there is another case of someone starting their coaching career as an A national team coach besides Director Lee Dong-gook: former national team head coach Hong Myung-bo. Immediately after retiring as a player, Coach Hong accepted an offer from Dick Advocaat and took his first step into coaching as an 'A national team coach' without any prior coaching experience. Under coach Guus Pott's tenure, he also served as the senior coach. Starting from a different point, Coach Hong later led the under-20 (U20) and under-23 (U23) national teams before taking charge of the A national team and guiding them to the 2014 Brazil World Cup. He became a World Cup coach nine years after starting his coaching career, but ultimately, this path did not remain as a 'success story' for Coach Hong.
Of course, Manager Pott has not yet been confirmed as the interim national team head coach. However, it is true that he is currently being mentioned as the most likely candidate based on various circumstances. What is worth noting is that public opinion, which was previously close to positive toward Manager Pott, has turned against him since rumors of Director Lee's coaching involvement surfaced. The biggest issue lies once again in the position of a Korean coach, Director Lee Suga, who could easily spark controversy over fairness. This feels like a repetition of old patterns from the very beginning of the interim head coach appointment process, contrary to fans' wishes. Ultimately, the key rests with Director Lee Dong-gook. His mindset at the time when he repeatedly rejected the coaching offer may ultimately be the right answer. This is even more so given the current atmosphere in Korean football.
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*This content was translated by AI.
