Robert Moreno holds a jersey of AS Monaco in an undated photo.JOONGANG ILBO
Robert Moreno has been tapped as interim manager of the Korean national football team, the Korea Football Association (KFA) announced Tuesday.
The KFA board approved his appointment earlier in the day. The 49-year-old Spaniard is the first Spanish coach to lead Korea’s senior national team.
The KFA began searching for an interim coach after Hong Myung-bo resigned following Korea's failure to advance to the knockout stages at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The KFA conducted an open recruitment process for the position. Former Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors head coach Gustavo Poyet, who had been considered a leading candidate, was eliminated from contention.
The final five candidates reportedly included Moreno, Pep Guardiola’s ex-assistant Domènec Torrent of Spain, and former Iraq head coach Jesús Casas, also of Spain.
After online interviews, Hyun Young-min, head of the KFA's National Teams Committee, traveled to Europe for in-person interviews. Moreno reportedly impressed with his thorough preparation and well-developed plans.
Moreno had no professional playing experience and began his coaching career in his 20s. He became best known as a longtime assistant to current Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique. Moreno had worked alongside Enrique at AS Roma, Celta Vigo, FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team beginning in 2011.
A photo of Robert Moreno from his InstagramSCREEN CAPTURE
When Luis Enrique stepped down as Spain coach in 2019 to care for his daughter, who was battling bone cancer, Moreno initially took over on an interim basis and later became head coach. He guided Spain comfortably through qualification for Euro 2020 with seven wins and two draws. Moreno left the Spanish national team after Luis Enrique returned and their relationship soured.
Moreno went on to manage clubs of Monaco, Granada and Sochi, but failed to deliver the expected results. He has been recognized for his strength in analysis and data use, but his teams’ defensive instability has been viewed as a shortcoming.
During his time at Russian club Sochi, Moreno was also the subject of a critical report that claimed he relied solely on AI platforms, such as ChatGPT, to prepare for matches and other coaching duties. Moreno denied the allegation.
Moreno had previously applied to coach Korea after Paulo Bento’s departure following the 2022 Qatar World Cup, but Jürgen Klinsmann was appointed instead.
The English Premier League has recently seen a growing presence of Spanish coaches, including Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, Chelsea’s Xabi Alonso and Liverpool’s Andoni Iraola.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
