In search of a soccer leader

Challenges lurk in finding right man for national team


Time is almost up, but Korean football’s governing body is still struggling to find the right candidate to lead the national football team.

The Korea Football Association announced earlier this month that it would appoint a new manager before the end of 2011 following its dismissal of Cho Kwang-rae.

The KFA noted that the national team’s future for the 2014 World Cup is uncertain under the guidance of Cho, who is now criticizing the authority for its autocratic system. Appointing a new manager is urgent for the team with its qualifying rounds for the 2014 World Cup just around the corner.

But the initial candidates on the list of KFA, including Jeonbuk manager Choi Kang-hee, national U23 team manager Hong Myung-bo and former national team coach Afshin Ghotbi, currently with Japan’s Shimizu S-Pulse, have already turned down the job.

With just two months left before Korea’s next game against Kuwait, the KFA announced that it was now looking to hire a foreign manger. 

The body said it is looking for someone who has hands-on experience on the international stage and a good understanding of Korean football. After the KFA’s announcement, Dutch manager Guus Hiddink and Senol Gunes of Turkey have been touted as potential targets.

Hiddink, who led Korea to the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup, is currently available, as he recently stepped down from the Turkish national team. But the signing of Hiddink seems unlikely in light of the Dutchman’s high salary.

The KFA reportedly said it would offer around $1 million a year for the post, far below what Hiddink would expect. The Dutchman was paid around $8 million during his reign of the Turkish national team.

Former FC Seoul manager Gunes is also a possible candidate for the job, but the 59-year-old is contracted to Turkish club Trabzonspor until 2013.

Meanwhile, former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson is also linked to the job. Eriksson has publicly declared through his representative that he is interested in taking over the Taegeuk Warriors. But his ability is now in question following his failures on the international stage. The 63-year-old is currently unemployed after being sacked by English club Leicester City last month.

With time ticking down, the KFA said it will dispatch technical committee director Hwangbo Kwan to Europe to speed up finding a new national team manager in preparation for Korea’s next game against Kuwait on Feb. 29.

Korea is hoping to make it to eight consecutive World Cup finals. It currently sits at the top of Group B in the third round of Asian qualifiers, but is only ahead of Lebanon on goal difference. Kuwait is in third, just two points behind. 

By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)