Asian Cup 'one-year postponement' speculation looms: Will Moreno's journey with South Korea end in vain?

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

As the Middle East situation surrounding Saudi Arabia grows unstable, questions have begun to arise over whether the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, scheduled for January next year, will be held as planned. Some voices are even suggesting the possibility of a change in host country or a 'one-year postponement.' In such a scenario, the journey between interim manager Roberto Moreno (Spain) and the South Korean national team could end after just six matches.

Australian news agency AAP reported on the 14th (Korean time) that concerns over the safe hosting of the Asian Cup are mounting following an attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The outlet predicted that if the conflict does not subside, a scenario in which the tournament is postponed by one year to January 2028 is more likely than a change of host country.

Previously, Saudi Arabia reported that 13 foreign civilians were killed and over 300 injured when King Khalid International Airport was hit by a missile attack on the 10th. The following day, an unidentified projectile struck the terminal again, and powerful chain explosions were heard in the middle of Riyadh's downtown area, indicating that the local situation is extremely unstable.

Due to these repercussions, it has become difficult to hold matches normally, with even kickoff times for AFC Champions League Elite games being delayed. Consequently, doubts are growing over whether the Asian Cup, scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia for about a month starting next January, will proceed as planned. The Korea Football Association (KFA), which had originally considered Saudi Arabia as the venue for its November A-match friendlies, is closely monitoring the situation while exploring various other possibilities.

This tournament, which determines the strongest team in Asia, is also the largest international competition organized by the AFC. It will be held at eight stadiums across three cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, and Qobar. Twenty-four Asian teams, including South Korea, will participate. Even if the AFC insists on holding the tournament amid the current unstable atmosphere, it cannot be ruled out that some teams may withdraw to ensure the safety of players and fans.

If the Asian Cup is postponed by one year, there is a possibility that Moreno, who is leading the South Korean national team as manager, will leave Korea after the November friendlies. Interim head coach Moreno will command a total of six matches: four A-matches in September and October, and two A-matches scheduled for November. His official contract period runs until November 27. However, a condition was added allowing him to continue leading the team through the Asian Cup scheduled for January next year, subject to an internal evaluation by the KFA based on his performance in those six matches.

The reason the Korea Football Association appointed an 'interim manager' rather than a permanent manager following Hong Myung-bo's resignation is that the current president has resigned due to Jeong Mong-gyu (Chairman), leaving the position vacant. The plan was to operate the national team under an interim head coach system until a new president is elected, and then appoint a permanent manager through formal procedures under the new presidential administration.

The decision to contract with Manager Moreno until late November while adding an option to command the Asian Cup based on the Football Association's evaluation was made because there is simply not enough preparation time to field the team at the Asian Cup under a new managerial system. It was considered the ideal scenario for both Manager Moreno and the Korea Koo Hyeop-hoe-na (CEO) team if Moreno successfully commanded six matches and then continued to lead the team through the Asian Cup. In the same vein, significant weight had been placed on the possibility of entering the Asian Cup under the Moreno system.

However, if the Asian Cup is postponed, Manager Moreno's contract will expire at the end of November, forcing him to leave the national team. He may reapply for the position of permanent head coach in the new presidential administration and compete with other candidates, but since that process will involve finding a head coach whose tenure is guaranteed through both the Asian Cup and the World Cup, he will have to overcome even fiercer competition than when he applied for the interim manager role.

Meanwhile, the Moreno-led team defeated Ecuador and Uzbekistan in the September-October A-match friendlies and drew with Venezuela. They also lost 1-4 to Uruguay, finishing with a record of two wins, one draw, and one loss. Immediately after the match against Uzbekistan, rumors of joint retirement for core Seon Su-deul-ui (CEO) team members born in 1996, including Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan, and Hwang In-beom, surfaced alongside allegations of conflict among players born in 1992, such as Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-sung, leaving the atmosphere within the national team unsettled.

Manager Moreno, comparing his six-match stint as interim manager to building a six-story building—a phrase used by domestic reporters—said, "A six-story building is too low in Korea. I want to build higher," hinting at his desire to continue managing the South Korean national team beyond his contract period.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original