“I learned more from experience than 10 years ago, and I feel like I have grown as a coach.” This is the words of Hong Myung-bo, the first coach of the Korean national soccer team in 10 years since the crushing defeat at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The national soccer team led by Hong held its first convocation training session at Goyang Stadium on Sunday. It is the first schedule to prepare for the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup against Palestine (Seoul) on Thursday and Oman (Oman Muscat) on Thursday.
Hong had failed at the Brazil World Cup. As a hero of Korean soccer, he instantly went all the way to the bottom. He had the honor of leading the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup and winning the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
Ten years have passed. Hong proved his capability as an administrator by turning into a managing director of the Korea Football Association, and led Ulsan HD to consecutive K-League 1 wins in 2022 and 2023, which had been suffering from no spectatorship, and recovered his capability as a leader. Apart from the controversy over procedural issues and the choice to leave Ulsan in the middle of this season, he has clearly taken a leap forward as a coach compared to 10 years ago.
It seems that Hong has changed his mind over the past 10 years. Ahead of his first training session, Hong said honestly, “I am nervous but also afraid. It is because I have experienced it before.” Hong already served as the head coach of the national team and also worked at important posts at the association, so he knows better than anyone else about the weight of the crown.
Despite the anxiety, Hong seems to have gained some confidence in himself. “I learned from many experiences compared to 10 years ago, and I feel like I have grown as a coach,” he said, clearly expressing his difference from his mid-40s, when he tasted bitterness at his first World Cup.
The issue is public opinion. Due to the Korea Football Association’s shoddy and clandestine administration and the re-election of Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, Korean soccer is under unprecedented criticism. The mood is so serious that the government and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism are taking a look at the issue. While there are rational criticisms, even groundless criticisms are aimed at the association and Coach Hong. Of course, the public sentiment is also stern. Maybe Coach Hong should overcome the public gaze that is even scarier than that of 10 years ago.
The dice has been thrown. In the end, Hong has to prove himself. What Hong said by saying, “I feel like I have grown up,” can be clearly seen through performance and game details. It is not words but games. Only when the team shows a clear change from its predecessor Jurgen Klinsmann and the two interim coaches, will it be able to persuade critical voices.
The atmosphere itself is different from that of the Korean national team 10 years ago. There are many big leaguers from Europe such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and the number of players playing overseas has increased. Korea should build Asia’s top-tier performance by leveraging creativity while uniting players with strong individuality. It is not important whether players wear suits or not when they arrive at the airport. What Hong should do now is to balance the national team with leadership, tactical capabilities, and two lapses. 스포츠토토
Coach Hong said, “I’m going to create a culture so that the players can come to the national team and think only about good performance,” and stressed, “It’s an important game for Korea rather than for me.”