South Korea turn to ex-Spain boss Moreno after World Cup debacle
SEOUL, Sept 1 — South Korea’s underfire football association on Tuesday appointed former Spain boss Robert M...
Seoul, September 1 — In the wake of a disastrous World Cup and a string of damaging controversies, South Korea's football association has appointed former Spain boss Robert Moreno as interim coach. Moreno, who previously denied using ChatGPT to prepare for games during his stint in Russia, will oversee the national team during friendly matches in September and October.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) stated that Moreno could lead the team at the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5, contingent upon an evaluation of his performance. The team had been without a coach since Hong Myung-bo resigned following their unexpected group-stage exit from the World Cup in North America in June, sparking public outrage and fueling pre-existing concerns about the hiring process.
Police raids occurred at the KFA headquarters last month as part of an investigation into Hong's 2024 appointment and allegations that the KFA provided sexual entertainment for foreign referees. Moreno, 48, will lead South Korea in home friendlies against Ecuador and Uruguay in September, and Venezuela and Uzbekistan in October.
If South Korea organizes more friendlies during the November international window, Moreno will remain in charge. The KFA emphasized that Moreno was hired following an open recruitment process and will be the first Spaniard to coach South Korea. Moreno previously managed the Spanish national team temporarily in 2019, replacing Luis Enrique, who resigned due to his daughter Xana's rare bone cancer diagnosis.
Luis Enrique returned as coach in November 2019 after his daughter's passing. Moreno faced accusations in January 2025 from Russian media of using AI to prepare for games during his time in charge of Sochi, which he denied in an open letter to Spanish newspaper Marca. He explained that while he has utilized technology in his professional work, he always made decisions himself and with his staff.
He emphasized that his career in football has been driven by data and video analysis, which he sees as a crucial aspect of his specialization.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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