The 2026 World Cup is also Korea’s build-up soccer…”A person who can carry on the philosophy”
Michael Müller, head of the Korea Football Association (KFA) National Team Power Enhancement Committee, made it clear that he wanted to bring in a coach who could continue the philosophy of coach Paulo Bento.
Chairman Muller held a senior press conference at the Soccer Hall located in Sinmun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul at 2:00 pm on the 11th. At this meeting, Chairman Müller openly mentioned the standards and procedures for appointing directors and future plans.
What many people wondered about the new national team coach position was what kind of play style the coach would come. Over the past four years, Korean football has tried to accept advanced football in the Bento division system. There was some noise in the process of transplanting Bento’s philosophy called build-up soccer, but it ultimately ended up in the round of 16 of the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
It was a World Cup that could not be simply described as a result. It is because we met tough opponents such as Uruguay, Ghana and Portugal and brought the result by taking possession of the ball and leading the game. It was a tournament where Korea was able to gain confidence that if it prepares in the right direction, it can have a competitive edge on the global stage.
With the success of the Bento system, national expectations have increased. Now, it’s not just about advancing to the round of 16. A director who can catch both rabbits, process and result, is needed. In order to do that, of course, the main opinion was that a person who could further develop the foundation created by the Bento Division should come. This is because it takes a lot of time to reimplant a philosophy that is completely opposite to Bento’s philosophy.
This was also the intention of the players. After the last World Cup, Hwang In-beom answered the question, ‘Should we maintain the current direction?’ has been revealed
Chairman Müller’s will was also looking in the same direction. He said, “I want to appoint a future national team coach who can carry on the football philosophy of the past. It is always important to figure out what we want and how we will play football.”
In addition, Chairman Müller wanted a ‘Korean style’ to be included in the football played by the new coach. He said, “Philosophy should include the values that Korean football pursues. First, I want to talk about mental strength and fighting spirit. It is also necessary to develop individual characteristics. We need to know what we want. After that, we set the direction. Play. Style, etc. are independent factors,” he said, clearly expressing what kind of director he wants.
He showed his willingness to bring in any coach. Now, the important thing is to bring people in through reasonable standards and correct procedures. There is not much time. Chairman Müller’s feet were busy.