Moreno tries to deal with uncertainty in Korean football
Robert Moreno, interim coach of the Korean men's national football team, speaks during a press conference announcing the roster for November friendly matches in the Middle East at the Korea Football Park in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Thursday. Yonhap
Robert Moreno has had quite an introduction to Korean football. When interviewing for the national team job in the summer after the disaster of the World Cup, he apparently impressed Korea FA officials with his knowledge of the subject. Nothing, however, can prepare you for reality.
The 49-year-old former coach of Spain was given the job until the end of November, a period that includes six games. Four have been played already, and results were mixed. There was a 3-0 win over Ecuador, a 4-1 loss to Uruguay, a goalless draw with Venezuela and then, on Oct. 6, a 2-0 victory against Uzbekistan.
Performances were, however, encouraging in the sense that tactically, there were some positive signs, and a sense that after the perceived passiveness of Hong Myung-bo at the World Cup, he was a coach who looked to make things happen during games.
Now, there are two left. On Nov. 13, the Taeguk Warriors will take on Saudi Arabia and then, four days later, will face Qatar. Both games will take place in Qatar as there are security concerns around Saudi Arabia at the moment, with the country coming under attack from the Yemen-based Houthis.
This means that the Asian Cup, which is due to kick off on Jan. 7, in Saudi Arabia, is under threat of postponement. If so (and a decision may come before the games in Doha), then Moreno could be left in limbo with no tournament to prepare for. It has been assumed that his contract will be extended to cover the Asian Cup, but if the tournament takes place in 2028, it raises questions over his future with the team.
That is not his immediate concern, however. There are reports of disunity in the camp. Seoul media has produced numerous articles claiming that three senior players — Hwang In-beom of FC Porto, Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae and Hwang Hee-chan of Schalke 04 in Germany — are unhappy. This trio, all born in 1996, have allegedly requested a change of leadership that includes captain Son Heung-min.
It had been speculated that the four would not play together again, but in a press conference earlier this week, Moreno said that they had all been included. “We have decided that they deserve to be on the team based on their current level of performance and they are prepared to make sacrifices for the national team," he said.
He added that there had been conversations, but was not about to talk publicly about what had been said. “The players also understand that their privacy will be protected …Whatever needs to be said about a certain player, I will speak directly with that player," Moreno said. "And that is how trust builds within the team, and that is the least I can do to show my respect for this position as head coach of the national team."
It is the only stance he could have taken but there is going to be a lot of focus on the so-called ‘Group of 1996’ and their interactions with Son and the coach in the coming games.
All this is a distraction that Moreno does not need as he prepares for two games that could be vital preparation for the Asian Cup, a tournament that Korea is looking to win for the first time since 1960. But then, it may not take place at all. This is the situation the interim coach finds himself in. Whatever happens, it has already been quite the education.