"Give me the European players' contact information right away. Do you know Gimcheon Sangmu?" — Why the KFA Chose Moreno

[Financial News] The Korea Football Association (KFA) has revealed the specific reasons and behind-the-scenes details behind its appointment of Robert Moreno as the new interim head coach of the South Korean national football team through the country's first open recruitment process. Hyun Young-min, chairman of the Technical Development Committee, emphasized that Moreno already had a deep understanding of Korean football and had shown strong enthusiasm for the job.
Hyun said on the KFA's official YouTube channel on the 4th, "Robert Moreno has experience leading some of the world's best clubs and national teams at a young age." He added, "We regarded his experience coaching strong-willed, top-class players, along with his data-driven analysis of team strength based on his background as an analyst and his ability to deploy a variety of tactics, as his greatest strengths."
Born in 1977, Robert Moreno has an impressive career that includes serving as Barcelona's assistant coach from 2014 to 2017 and as assistant coach and head coach of the Spain national team from 2018 to 2019. More recently, he managed PFC Sochi in Russia.
What stands out in particular is Moreno's thorough preparation and exceptional enthusiasm. Hyun said, "Robert Moreno showed such enthusiasm that, as soon as he began working, he requested the contact information of players active in Europe because he wanted to communicate with them directly."
This was more than simple interest. According to Hyun, Moreno already knew a substantial amount of information about the current national team players by position. He not only mentioned K League players by name but also had a precise understanding of the existence and character of the military-and-police club Gimcheon Sangmu Football Club.
The national team's preparations are also moving quickly. The KFA has already given Moreno the list of 26 players for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North, Central America and the Caribbean, along with the standby roster and the list of young players eligible for the Asian Games. Based on this information, Moreno plans to build his squads in September and October around the existing European-based and K League players, then make broader use in November of players returning after competing in the Asian Games.
The interim label was a necessary expedient in light of practical administrative circumstances. Hyun explained, "We also discussed in depth the appointment of a permanent head coach ahead of next year's Asian Cup. However, considering the ongoing efforts to improve the KFA presidential election system and the deadline for submitting the Asian Cup roster, which is the end of November, we appointed an interim head coach." If Moreno produces positive results in these six matches, his contract could be extended through the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027, which will be held in Saudi Arabia next January.
Details have also emerged about the first-ever open recruitment process for the head coach of the senior national team, which attracted 22 applicants.
The process included document screening, remote interviews and an in-person interview in Spain, but it also had limitations. Hyun added, "There were unfortunate cases in which a coach who was an excellent candidate was eliminated during the document screening because the accompanying coaching staff did not meet the required number of members." He continued, "In future coaching appointments, we will address the strengths and weaknesses of open recruitment and further strengthen the procedural legitimacy of the process."
The South Korean national team under Moreno and his staff will make its highly anticipated debut against the Ecuador national team at Suwon World Cup Stadium on the 24th.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter