With the national team command tower scheduled to succeed Paulo Bento by February next year, the good feelings for Bento from the Taegeuk Warriors and fans are expected to have a significant impact on the appointment of the next coach.
The Korea Football Association held a board of directors meeting on the 13th, when Bento left the country, and announced a roadmap for appointing the next national team command tower.
According to the Korea Football Association plan, the appointment of a new coach for the national team will be finalized within this month and the first selection of candidates will be made.
Next, in January of next year, the final candidates will be selected and their capabilities will be checked through direct interviews.
Finally, by February of next year, individual negotiations will be held according to the priority of the negotiation target, and the appointment of the director will be finalized. The National Representative Power Enhancement Committee announced that it had decided to recommend suitable leaders, both domestically and internationally.
However, as a foreign commander, 토토 Bento’s achievements in the World Cup round of 16 and considerable support from Taegeuk Warriors have recently been revealed as protruding variables.
In particular, many of the players who participated in the Qatar World Cup regretted the breakup with coach Bento, and the next head coach also said that he needed excellent skills, fair player selection, and advanced soccer tactics. The Korea Football Association also faced a reality that could not be ignored.
Immediately ahead of the national team captain Son Heung-min, ahead of the round of 16 against Brazil, he said, “I am grateful that I can play the coach’s last game with him on the bench.”
Bento’s starting midfielder Hwang In-beom said after the World Cup, “Coach Bento is a person I am very grateful to. He believed in me,” he said, bringing tears to his eyes.
Lee Jae-seong, the national team’s main midfielder, also posted on his blog, “I played the soccer we wanted to do with coach Bento for four years.” He praised us a lot.”
Lee Jae-sung asked the soccer world to gather wisdom, saying, “I think that if we create such an atmosphere, we will be able to think hard even once more so that we do not choose the coach too easily.”
When fans also confirmed the achievements of the past four years at the Qatar World Cup, their perception of coach Bento changed drastically.
Fans who criticized him for being stubborn even made the nickname ‘Benverji (Bento + Father)’ after the World Cup, and praised Bento’s ability.
Some in the football world believe that this change in atmosphere can affect the tendency to lean towards foreigners in the appointment of the next coach.
Korean coaches are better considering ‘cost-effectiveness’ such as salary and player identification, but it is undeniable that the opinion that a high-quality foreign coach should be brought in once again is gaining persuasiveness after reaching the round of 16.
Korean football has accepted the task of not only reaching the round of 16 in the ‘one-time’ expedition, but also going to the quarterfinals for two consecutive times in the 2026 World Cup, when the Taegeuk Warriors are at the peak of their careers.
The voice of selecting the best coach for this is getting louder both inside and outside the football world. The continued ‘Bento sickness’ of Taegeuk Warriors and fans also reflects this.
The Korea Football Association’s National Team Power Reinforcement Committee began to solve higher-order equations.