With the 2026 World Cup qualifiers fast approaching, South Korean football is at a critical turning point. Recently, the Korean Football Association has faced many challenges in its search for a new coach of the national team. According to Football Daily, the Korean Football Association initially had 11 coaches selected for consideration, including four local and seven foreign coaches. After a round of screening, the list was reduced to four, but then to three foreign candidates due to various factors.
Of the three candidates, American coach Marsch and Portuguese coach Raj have both worked with South Korean international Hwang Hee-chan, but their coaching experience in Asia is limited. Marsh's annual salary in Europe is as high as £3.5 million, well above the budget ceiling of the Korean Football Association. Although Raj has a lower salary, his experience in Asia is also limited to the junior team in Dubai. Another candidate, Aguirre, briefly coached the Japanese national team, but his knowledge of Asian football remains the same as it was a decade ago, and his current position in Mallorca prevents him from joining immediately.
The Korean Football Association currently has a salary budget of $1.5 million to $2 million for the new manager, which is relatively low in the international football market, which is why there are foreign coaches with obvious shortcomings in the final shortlist. In addition, the absence of local coaches is also related to the sluggish domestic football environment, and many capable local coaches are reluctant to take on heavy responsibilities in such an environment.
The situation is quite similar to the dilemma faced by the Chinese Football Association in selecting a national team manager. The Chinese Football Association also made an annual salary budget limit of 2 million US dollars, and finally chose the more cost-effective coach Ivankovic. In contrast, the Korean Football Association has a limited range of options and may need to look for coaches who can bring tactical innovation and team stability with limited funds.
At present, the process of selecting a coach of the Korean Football Association is still full of uncertainties. With the World Preliminary Round of 36 approaching, the Football Association may have to use temporary firefighting methods and hire a short-term coach to lead the team. This situation highlights the current dilemma of South Korean football, which urgently needs to rebuild confidence and strength, but is constrained by both economic and talent constraints. (Lao Qiu Super League Ball Review)