The Korean Football Association has initiated a public recruitment process to appoint an interim head coach for the men's national football team.
On July 30, the association announced the schedule and detailed procedures for selecting the interim coach and coaching staff for the national team.
Previously, on July 24, the association's board approved the appointment of an interim coach to lead the team during the FIFA A-match periods scheduled from September to November.
This recruitment aims to find a successor to Hong Myung-bo, who stepped down following the team's failure to advance past the group stage in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The process will be conducted in accordance with the national sports selection and operation regulations. This is the first time that the head coach for both men's and women's senior national teams will be selected through a public recruitment process. The association had previously implemented this method for the men's under-20 and Olympic teams.
Applications will be accepted from July 30 until 5 p.m. on August 9. After reviewing applications and conducting interviews, the association will finalize the list of candidates and begin contract negotiations. With the A-match schedule starting on September 21, the association aims to complete the entire selection process by the end of August. The opponents for the A-matches in September have not yet been determined, but the team will face Venezuela and Uzbekistan during the October A-match period.
Notably, applicants are required to form a 'team structure' for their applications. Candidates must assemble a coaching staff of at least five and up to seven members, including general coaches, goalkeeper coaches, physical trainers, and analysts. Once applications are submitted, changes to the team composition will not be allowed.
Qualification criteria have also been specified. Domestic candidates must hold an AFC Pro (or equivalent) coaching license along with a Level 2 professional sports coaching certification. Foreign candidates are required to possess the highest-level coaching certification issued by a FIFA-affiliated confederation. For the coaching staff, domestic coaches must have an AFC A-level certification and a Level 2 professional sports coaching certification, while foreign coaches must meet the qualifications for their respective fields and have at least five years of coaching experience.
Required application documents include certifications, a resume (CV), a personal statement, and a national team operation plan. The operation plan must detail player selection and management strategies, tactical and game models, and the division of roles among the coaching staff. An evaluation committee, composed of members from the association's performance enhancement committee and external evaluators, will assess the candidates' expertise and operational capabilities.
The association stated, "Given the concerns and opinions from within and outside the football community regarding the public recruitment process for the A national team coach, we plan to gather insights on the strengths and weaknesses identified during this process."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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