Seoul: Former Spain head coach Robert Moreno has been appointed as the temporary manager of the South Korean men's national football team. The Korea Football Association (KFA) confirmed Moreno's nomination during its board meeting, held at Korea Football Park in Cheonan, approximately 90 kilometers south of Seoul.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Moreno, aged 48, will oversee South Korea's upcoming six international matches. The Taegeuk Warriors are set to host Ecuador on September 24, Uruguay on September 28, Venezuela on October 2, and Uzbekistan on October 6. The KFA is also working to schedule two additional matches within the FIFA international window from November 9 to 17.
Following these November fixtures, South Korea will participate in the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, commencing in January. Moreno's contract is effective until November 27, with a possibility of extending his tenure for the Asian Cup, contingent upon the team's performance in the coming months.
The position of the men's national team head coach had remained vacant since Hong Myung-bo's resignation in late June, following South Korea's group-stage exit from the FIFA World Cup. Choosing not to rush into appointing a permanent successor before the September-October matches, the KFA decided on a caretaker manager instead.
Moreno's coaching experience includes a brief stint managing Spain for nine matches in 2019 during Luis Enrique's leave of absence. He later managed AS Monaco in France, Granada in Spain, and FC Sochi in Russia. Moreno has also served as a scout for FC Barcelona and worked as an assistant to Enrique at AS Roma, Celta Vigo, and FC Barcelona.