After firing coach Jurgen Klinsmann, there was much controversy within Korean football regarding the successor to the "hot" seat left by the German coach.
First, they have not yet been able to finalize the plan of whether to immediately appoint a long-term coach or just invite this person to temporarily lead 2 matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers next March.
Chosun news site wrote: " There are many divisive debates about choosing a replacement for Mr. Klinsmann. Some opinions say that a new coach should be appointed immediately in February, leaving the head coach position vacant is not advisable. In addition, many others hope that the Korea Football Association (KFA) will be careful when making choices and can appoint an interim coach for the two matches against Thailand ."
Coach Park Hang Seo is unemployed.
In such a situation, Coach Park Hang Seo once again appeared as a "firefighting" solution to help KFA have more time to choose personnel.
The Korean team is weakened by off-field reasons rather than on-field issues. The conflict between Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in is evidence of the lack of unity within the Korean team. According to the Korean press, there are up to 3 groups of players forming cliques within the Korean team.
Therefore, KFA president Chung Mong-gyu wants to choose a domestic coach instead of pursuing foreign coaches with good resumes but not showing effectiveness.
The domestic coaches ready to lead the Korean team include Mr. Hong Myung-bo (Ulsan Hyundai), Kim Gi-dong (FC Seoul), Choi Yong-soo (former coach of Gangwon FC), Ahn Ik-soo (former coach of Seoul FC). Another potential candidate is the head coach of the Korean U23 team - Mr. Hwang Seon-hong.
According to Chosun's analysis, each of these coaches has their own problems. Mr. Hwang Seon-hong is focusing on the work of the Korean U23 team with the goal of winning the U23 Asian Cup and winning a ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Meanwhile, famous commentator Hwang Deok-yeon opposed the idea of inviting a coach who is working in the K-League: " The national championship is like the foundation of Korean football, and shaking that foundation for the sake of the national team is inappropriate ."
Both Ahn Ik-soo and Choi Young-soo are highly regarded coaches in Korea. However, taking on the interim role may be a barrier that they are not very interested in.
Coach Park Hang Seo has experience in the field, has been successful with Vietnamese football and has also received sympathy from fans at home. He understands better than anyone else the opponent Thailand and is ready to temporarily lead 2 matches for the Korean team. This is not a bad choice for the KFA at a time of turmoil like the present.
Mai Phuong
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