"I will watch Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae in person" Moreno heads to Europe immediately after squad announcement... He will also attend Hwang In-beom's match [Cheonan on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Robert Moreno (49), head coach of the South Korea national football team, is heading to Europe immediately after announcing the squad for the November A-matches. He plans to personally watch the matches of Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid) and Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), key players for the South Korean side, as well as Hwang In-beom (Porto).

Coach Moreno held a press conference at 2 p.m. on the 29th at Cheonan Korea Football Park in Chungnam Province to announce the list of 26 Taeguk Warriors who will compete in the November A-matches.

South Korea will play two away friendly matches against Saudi Arabia on November 13 and Qatar on the 17th in Doha, Qatar. This is the final A-match schedule for this year.

Coach Moreno announced this squad earlier than usual to directly check the physical condition and performance of overseas-based players.

In fact, Coach Moreno will board a flight to Europe that evening. He is scheduled to head to Barcelona, Spain.

Coach Moreno stated, "I am scheduled to depart this evening. I plan to watch the match between Atletico Madrid (Spain) and Bayern Munich (Germany), and then move on to Portugal to directly observe the match between Porto (Portugal) and Napoli (Italy)."

The match between Atletico and Munich is a clash between the clubs of Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae. The two teams will play the fourth round of the 2026~2027 season UEFA Champions League league phase on the 4th of next month at Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain.

Lee Kang-in is playing as a core asset in Atletico's attack. Kim Min-jae is also the center of defense for both Munich and the South Korean national team. Coach Moreno has secured an opportunity to check the performance of two key national team players in a single match.

Following this, Coach Moreno will move to Portugal. Hwang In-beom's club, Porto, will play Napoli in the fourth round of the Champions League league phase on November 5.

Kim Min-jae and Hwang In-beom are players included in the "trio born in 1996," who were recently embroiled in rumors of simultaneous retirement from the national team.

Previously, after the September~October A-matches, rumors arose that Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom, and Hwang Hee-chan (Schalke) would retire from the national team together. The controversy grew as suspicions emerged of discord between captain Son Heung-min (LAFC) and some players.

In this situation, Coach Moreno included Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom, and Hwang Hee-chan in the November A-match squad. Despite the controversy, he selected his existing key players without change.

Coach Moreno also stated his position on internal team issues at the press conference that day. He emphasized, "The thing I have done most over the past few weeks is talk. I communicated with the players, the captain, the association, and all team officials," adding, "I believe communication is the most important element in running a team."

He also explained, "Internally, we resolved things by facing the players directly. The players also talked among themselves," noting, "People may have different thoughts, but how to resolve it when that happens is what matters."

Regarding Son Heung-min's role as captain, he answered clearly, "The national team captain is Son Heung-min. I have nothing more to say."

Amid this, Coach Moreno will visit Europe directly to check the performance of key players. He is expected to meet with overseas-based players and discuss various matters related to the national team.

However, Coach Moreno was wary that his visit might become a burden for the players. He said, "I have absolutely no intention of putting pressure on the players or the clubs before the matches," adding, "I plan to run the national team while maintaining principles, just as I have talked with those players and others."

This November A-match is an important stage for Coach Moreno. As the current interim commander, his contract period runs until November, and whether his contract will be extended may depend on the results of the two friendly matches and the decision of the Korea Football Association.

Accordingly, Coach Moreno's movements are busy. Immediately after announcing the squad, he is heading to Europe to watch the clash between Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae, with plans to directly observe Hwang In-beom's match as well.

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

*This content was translated by AI.View Original