The biggest task at the beginning of the new year in Korean soccer is the appointment of the national team command tower, which has been vacant after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Korea Football Association (KFA) has entrusted Michael Müller (58, Germany) as the head of the National Team Power Reinforcement Committee, and is accelerating the process of appointing a new command tower to succeed former coach Paulo Bento (54, Portugal).
In the midst of this, interesting news broke out. Former Valencia coach Jose Bordalas (59, Spain) was nominated as a candidate for the “Post Bento”. Spanish media outlets such as Ars and Marca reported on the 18th (Korean time) that “the KFA has investigated former coach Bordalas for several weeks.”
Prior to this, Chairman Müller said, “We will start (appointing a director) from a blank slate,” and the KFA drew a line saying, “There has been no candidate contacted yet,” but the possibility of sharing a consensus cannot be ruled out. In fact, many agents are sending recommendation resumes of directors who are ‘unemployed’.
But Bordalas is a ‘club expert’. After starting his coaching career in 1993, he managed Spanish teams such as Elche, Deportivo Alaves, Getafe and Valencia. In the 2015-2016 season, he raised Alaves in the second division and Getafe in the Primera Liga the following season. Afterwards, he put Getafe in the round of 16 of the European Football Federation (UEFA) Europa League in the 2019-2020 season, and in May 2021, he joined Valencia and worked with Lee Kang-in (22, Mallorca) to win the Spanish King’s Cup (Copa Del Rey) runner-up in the first season. led Because of this, it boasts a considerable reputation in Spain, and according to foreign media, it is receiving attention from several teams this winter.
However, it is pointed out that it is not suitable as a ‘Korean national team coach’. Chairman Müller cited five factors as the conditions for appointing a manager: ▲professionalism ▲experience ▲motivation ▲teamwork ▲environmental factors. ‘Experience’ and ‘professionalism’ at the club level may be high, but Bordalas doesn’t fit in with us as he has never led a national team and never left his country. Many footballers said, “I understand if it is a recommended candidate, but it would be disappointing if there was real sympathy. He points out that we do not need to present the director’s beginning.”
It is necessary to look back on July 2018, when Bento was appointed coach. The standards presented by the then head of the Power Reinforcement Committee (54, current Malaysia coach) Kim Pan-gon were difficult. He emphasized, “It should match the status of a country that has advanced to the World Cup consecutive finals, and it should be consistent with the philosophy of Korean football, such as creating scoring opportunities, leading defense, switching between hybrid offense and defense, and winning mentality.” At the same time, he set up major conditions such as passing the World Cup qualifiers, winning the continental championship and winning the big league. 안전놀이터
Carlos Queiroz (70, Portugal), Juan Carlo Osorio (62, Colombia), and Slaven Bilic (65, Croatia) were nominated, and Bento, who led the Portuguese national team and clubs in each country, was appointed. It is a clear and specific standard that is not lacking at all even if it is reflected again now that it has become a World Cup 16 powerhouse. There is absolutely no reason to start the ‘foreign coach, coaching staff’ system, which will cost at least 4 billion won a year, including the manager’s salary, with a 2% deficit.