The most important thing is to lead the game while we have possession of the ball. I will run the national team with the virtues of ‘respect, communication, responsibility, and dedication.'”
Hong Myung-bo (55), who took over as head coach of the Korean national soccer team, bowed his head first to Ulsan HD fans and K-League fans at the inauguration press conference held at the Korea Football Association building in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 29th and said, “I apologize for disappointing you with my choice.”
Coach Hong continued, “The way to receive forgiveness from the fans is to help the national soccer team grow and develop,” and asked for the fans’ understanding, saying, “I stand here with a sense of indebtedness and responsibility.”
The Korea Football Association decided on former Ulsan HD coach Hong Myung-bo as the next head coach of the national football team on the 7th, and after a board of directors meeting, officially appointed him on the 13th.
However, after Park Joo-ho, who was a member of the Korea Football Association’s Strengthening Committee and participated in the process of selecting the commander, revealed on his YouTube channel, “There were many members who 한국을 unconditionally supported domestic coaches. If a foreign coach was proposed, they unconditionally found fault with him,” public opinion rapidly worsened.
Football fans also rose up in protest, claiming that the selection process of the Football Association, which has been in place for five months since the dismissal of former coach Jurgen Klinsmann, has not been transparent.
In the end, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also decided to audit the process of appointing Hong Myung-bo, and the aftermath of the appointment of Hong Myung-bo continues.
Meanwhile, Coach Hong went on a business trip to Europe to appoint foreign coaching staff and met with key European players on the national team, such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Kim Min-jae (Munich), to take quick steps toward ‘launching Hong Myung-bo’s protection.