Will a 'Bento Again' Come True?

Paulo Bento, the former coach who led South Korea to the round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, has expressed interest in returning to the helm of the South Korea national football team, which has been left on the brink after an early exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
According to the Korea Football Association (KFA) on the 8th, Bento recently conveyed his willingness to return as national team coach through an insider at the association with whom he has a personal connection. No official application has been submitted yet, as the process for selecting a successor has not been clearly finalized, but the former coach's desire to return carries significant implications, given his past success with the team.
South Korean football has recently fallen into a deep slump. The team, led by former coach Hong Myung-bo, finished the World Cup group stage with one win and two losses for three points, and was ultimately denied a place in the round of 32 after a wild-card battle, ending the tournament in a disappointing 34th place. Hong took full responsibility and stepped down in disgrace, leaving the national team manager position vacant.
The association convened the first meeting of the national team strengthening committee on the 3rd and began the process of selecting the next head coach.
An association official drew a line, saying, "There are currently no documents officially submitted to the strengthening committee, and the association has not made any request first." The official added, "At this point, Bento has only expressed interest through an acquaintance. The committee is not yet at the stage of narrowing down candidates, so it would be difficult to say he has suddenly emerged as a leading contender."
Still, Bento's name alone is raising expectations among fans. He is the longest-serving coach in the history of the South Korea national team, having led the side for four years and four months from September 2018. That makes him one of the few coaches who delivered both results and a clear process. In particular, at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, he guided the team to a historic second away-round-of-16 appearance with a structured build-up style of football.
After leaving South Korea over differences in contract renewal and taking charge of the United Arab Emirates national football team, he stepped down in May last year and is now taking a break as a free agent. For now, football fans are strongly backing Bento after this World Cup.
As the strengthening committee moves into full-scale efforts to rebuild the shattered team, attention is focused on how Bento's bid to return, after writing a chapter of round-of-16 glory, may influence the upcoming selection process.