The Korea Football Association has once again pulled out its ‘interim manager card’ after the search for a new head coach for the South Korean national soccer team stalled. Kim Do-hoon (54, pictured), the former head coach of Ulsan HD, has taken the helm. The KFA believes that Kim’s familiarity with the local game is appropriate as the national team is set to play Singapore.
The KFA held a meeting on Tuesday and announced that the two Asian second-round qualifiers for the FIFA Confederations Cup North America in June will be played under Kim’s interim leadership. “As negotiations for the selection of a national team coach are still ongoing, there is a possibility that the appointment may not be finalized before the June A match,” the KFA explained.
Kim, who was a striker as a player, began coaching Seongnam Ilhwa in 2005 and went on to manage Incheon and Ulsan before taking the helm of Singapore Lion City for a year in 2021. “Coach Kim has shown his abilities and achievements in his diverse career as a coach,” said Jeong Jung-sung, chairman of the KPA, “and his familiarity with the local environment, including leading the team to the championship in the Singapore League, was also a factor in his appointment.” “I made the decision to help Korean soccer a little bit, and I will do my best in the given environment, even though I am short of time,” Kim said.
After sacking former coach Jürgen Klinsmann in February, the national soccer federation has been searching for a new coach ever since. After Klinsmann’s dismissal, the 안전놀이터 national team considered Jesse Marsh as its first choice for the job, but negotiations failed. With the delay in hiring a new coach, Chung vowed to “take charge” and handed the reins to U-23 national team coach Hwang Sun-hong on an interim basis. Hwang put his job on hold to lead the A team to a 1-1 draw against “underdog” Thailand, while the U-23s failed to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics. However, Chung has remained coy about his responsibilities, and the search for a new coach is underway. Only foreign coaches are currently under consideration. The KFA had initially said it hoped to have a new coach in place by mid-May.