Seoul: Recently named interim boss for the South Korean men's national football team, Spanish tactician Robert Moreno, has promised to deliver "work, honesty and respect" in his new position.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Moreno, who once led the Spanish men's national team and had other coaching stints with FC Barcelona and AS Roma, among other clubs, was appointed as temporary head coach by the Korea Football Association (KFA) on Tuesday. Moreno will oversee the next six matches for the Taegeuk Warriors. They will host Ecuador on Sept. 24, Uruguay on Sept. 28, Venezuela on Oct. 2, and Uzbekistan on Oct. 6. The KFA is also trying to schedule two more matches in November.
The KFA decided to hire a caretaker manager for these six games in the fall instead of rushing to bring in a full-time coach after Hong Myung-bo stepped down following South Korea's group-stage exit at the FIFA World Cup in June. After the upcoming friendlies, South Korea will compete at the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in January in Saudi Arabia. Although Moreno's contract runs through Nov. 27, the KFA stated he will have a chance to stay on for the Asian Cup, depending on South Korea's performance in those six matches.
In a post on his website, Moreno expressed that getting the South Korean job is "an honor and a responsibility." He stated, "I have known and respected Korean football for years, and now my job is to work for it. I will not promise results: I promise work, honesty, and respect. Whatever we have to say, we will say it on the pitch."
Hyun Young-min, who oversaw the coach hiring process as head of the KFA's National Teams Committee, mentioned that South Korea will be in good hands with Moreno and his backroom staff, also appointed this week: Eduardo Docampo as first assistant; Jacint Magrina as analyst; Victor Brave de Soto handling tactics; Javier Chocarro in fitness; and Nico Bosch as goalkeeping coach.
In an interview posted on the KFA's official YouTube channel, Hyun expressed his admiration for Moreno's depth of knowledge in Korean football. "He knew the K League and its players so well it was almost refreshing," Hyun stated. "Even before he signed the contract, he wanted to reach out to South Korean players based in Europe."
Hyun also highlighted that every member of Moreno's staff holds a UEFA Pro License, the highest professional coaching qualification in Europe, and possesses great expertise in each area. Moreno himself brings a wealth of experience, Hyun added. "He has experience working with high-level players who have strong personalities and he can analyze opposing teams using data," Hyun said. "He is also able to deploy a wide range of tactics. Those are his biggest strengths."