Bento interested as Korea seeks new coach
Paulo Bento / AP-Yonhap
Former Korea national football team coach Paulo Bento, who guided the country to the round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, has expressed interest in returning to the vacant managerial position, according to people familiar with the matter.
With the Korea Football Association (KFA) still in the midst of leadership uncertainty following the resignation of its former president, attention is already turning to the search for the national team's next coach.
According to the football community and the KFA on Tuesday, Bento recently conveyed his interest in taking charge of the national team through a KFA official who had previously worked with him during his tenure.
He has not, however, formally submitted an application to the KFA's National Team Strengthening Committee, which is responsible for recommending candidates for the head coach position.
A football official said Bento is also open to serving as interim coach, as Korea is expected to appoint a temporary manager ahead of its September A matches.
The KFA held the first meeting of its National Team Strengthening Committee on Friday and officially began the process of selecting the next national team coach. The position has remained vacant since former coach Hong Myung-bo stepped down following Korea's early exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
With international matches scheduled from September through November and the 2027 AFC Asian Cup set to begin in January, the KFA is searching for candidates while preparing for the possibility of an interim coaching arrangement. Association officials believe the appointment can no longer be delayed.
If Bento returns, he would likely require little adjustment time, having already managed the national team from September 2018 to January 2023.
Bento remains Korea's longest-serving national team coach under a single uninterrupted tenure. He earned praise for establishing a possession-based style of play and leading the team to the knockout stage of the 2022 World Cup.
After South Korea's 4-1 defeat to Brazil in the round of 16, Bento said he had decided not to renew his contract with the Korean national team. He said he had informed the players and the football association president of his decision, and that he had already made that decision “back in September."
Following his departure from South Korea, Bento managed the United Arab Emirates national football team from July 2023 to May 2025.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.