Temporary men's football coach stresses need to focus on controllables amid controversy

Cheonan — Amid controversy surrounding reported discord among key players, temporary head coach Robert Moreno emphasized Thursday the necessity of concentrating on controllable aspects of the game. Moreno unveiled a 26-man roster for upcoming friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Qatar, scheduled for November. However, the focus of his press conference at Korea Football Park in Cheonan, located 80 kilometers south of Seoul, was not the matches but rather the reported tension within the team.

Central to the controversy are Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan, and Hwang In-beom, referred to collectively as the 1996 group due to their shared birth years. Sources claim these players had expressed their intention to retire from international play after a 2-0 victory over Uzbekistan on October 6, citing dissatisfaction with longtime captain Son Heung-min, who is four years their senior.

Despite none of the trio following through with their retirement plans, the incident sparked division among football fans and speculation about the future of these four players on the national team.