Seol Dong-sik, the first president of the Korea Football Coaches Association (KFA), has criticized the lack of attention given to domestic coaches in the selection process for the national soccer team’s head coach.
“Achievements such as the third-place finish at the 2012 London Olympics and the runner-up finish at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup are proof that Korean coaches have excellent abilities,” Seol said at the inauguration ceremony of the Leaders Association held at The K Hotel Seoul in Seocho-gu, Seoul on Thursday afternoon.
He then expressed his disappointment that only foreign coaches are given attention in the selection process.
“It’s unfortunate that Korean coaches are not recognized in the selection process,” said Seol.
“In Southeast Asia, they are taking our coaches,” he said, highlighting the excellence of Korean coaches such as Shin Tae-yong, who leads Indonesia’s national team, Kim Pan-gon, who leads Malaysia’s national team, and former coaches Park Hang-seo and Kim Sang-sik, who lead Vietnam’s national team.
“Even young players who are playing in Europe were taught by Korean coaches in Korea during their school days, and they are becoming world-class players overseas,” Seol said, adding that this also shows the excellence of Korean coaches.
“How long will we continue to look around the world for a coach for the Korean national soccer team?” he asked, adding, “Why are our coaches not being recognized in the process of selecting a national team coach, and why should they be in the sixth or seventh position (relatively speaking).”
While urging the KFA to work harder to nurture and promote domestic coaches, Seol said he would continue to work with the organization.
“The KFA should take the lead in discovering world-class players and developing world-class masters,” he said, adding, “The Leadership Association will be a strong partner and supporter of the KFA.”
Meanwhile, the KFA’s National Power Enhancement Committee considered more than 100 candidates over the course of several months, but decided that it would be difficult to find a foreign coach with the level of prestige and skill that fans wanted.
Kim Do-hoon and Ulsan HD head coach Hong Myung-bo, who led the team on an interim basis for two A-Match matches in June, are the favorites to take over. 메이저토토사이트 순위