After a season of unprecedented turmoil that shook the foundations of South Korean men’s football this summer, the Korea Football Association (KFA) has formally named former Spain national team head coach Robert Moreno as the program’s new interim leader. Announced in a press statement Tuesday, Moreno’s initial contract covers six scheduled friendly and qualifying matches set for the September and November 2024 international match windows, with KFA officials confirming the deal could be extended to lead the squad through the 2027 Asian Cup, which kicks off in January next year.
Hyun Young-min, who leads the KFA’s National Teams Committee, highlighted the key reasons behind the governing body’s selection, noting that Moreno stood out from other candidates thanks to his deep, nuanced grasp of Korean football and his knack for designing flexible, diverse tactical approaches tailored to the squad’s strengths. “We hope he and his new supporting staff will help lift our national team’s performance and put us back on a positive trajectory,” Hyun added.
Moreno brings a wealth of top-tier coaching experience to the role. He took the helm of the Spanish men’s national team for a stint in 2019, and has since held senior head coaching positions at prominent European clubs including Ligue 1 side AS Monaco, La Liga outfit Granada, and most recently Russian Premier League club Sochi, where his contract concluded in August 2023.
The top job for South Korea’s men’s national team has sat vacant since late June, when former manager Hong Myung-bo stepped down in the wake of the team’s unexpected group-stage elimination from 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying. Widespread public anger over Hong’s 2024 appointment boiled over this summer, forcing not only Hong’s exit but also the resignation of long-time KFA president Chung Mong-gyu. Both figures were later called to testify under questioning during a parliamentary hearing held in July, capping a period of intense public and political scrutiny of the country’s football governing body.
One of Moreno’s core mandates, KFA officials confirmed, is to reset the culture and mood of the national team as it works to rebuild following a brutal stretch of off-field and on-field disappointment. Moreno will make his debut on the South Korean sideline on September 24, when the team hosts Ecuador in a friendly match in Suwon, a major city just south of the capital Seoul.