South Korea’s new manager Robert Moreno dismisses ‘AI coaching’ allegations

Seoul, September 14 — Robert Moreno, the interim coach of South Korea, announced today his intention to make the country's fans "happy" following a disappointing World Cup and a series of damaging controversies. Moreno, who previously coached Spain, will lead the team in friendly matches ahead of the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia in January-February, with an evaluation pending. The Korea Football Association (KFA) confirmed his appointment for the interim period, subject to assessment.

The 48-year-old Moreno highlighted the need to put a smile on the faces of South Korean football fans, emphasizing the team's commitment to "honest work" and the players' well-being. He named captain Son Heung-min in his squad for the upcoming home friendlies and expressed his intent to improve the team's performance.

Moreno's first matches will be against Ecuador and Uruguay in September, followed by games against Venezuela and Uzbekistan in October. The South Korean national team had been without a coach since Hong Myung-bo's departure in June after their surprising elimination from the World Cup group stage in North America.

The sudden dismissal of Hong Myung-bo did not alleviate public discontent over the team's performance, and it fueled concerns about the hiring process. Police raided the KFA headquarters last month as part of an investigation into Hong's appointment in 2024. Additionally, the KFA had apologized for providing sexual entertainment for foreign referees.

Former Spanish coach Moreno firmly denied allegations that he had utilized AI during his time with Russian club Sochi. The claims, which had gone viral, stated that he heavily relied on ChatGPT and even used it to decide on potential signings. Moreno dismissed the rumors as "completely false" and clarified that he employs technology as most people do, but insisted that everything had been taken out of context to cause harm.