New Taeguk Warriors manager Robert Moreno wants side to prove itself on pitch

Interim Korean football manager Robert Moreno pledged that the Taeguk Warriors will prove themselves "on the pitch” as he takes charge at a turbulent time for Korean football. 

“I will not promise results: I promise work, honesty and respect,” Moreno said in a statement posted on his personal website on Thursday. “Whatever we have to say, we will say it on the pitch.”

Moreno, the 49-year-old Spaniard who is preparing to arrive in Korea and begin coaching, noted that he is familiar with Korean football.

“It is an honor and it is a responsibility,” Moreno said. “I have known and respected Korean football for years, and now my job is to work for it.”

Moreno is expected to outline his plans for the national team at his official presentation after arriving in Korea. He will not be giving interviews before then, according to his statement.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) approved Moreno’s appointment as interim head coach and the addition of five members to his coaching staff during its seventh board meeting of the year on Tuesday. Moreno has assembled an entirely Spanish coaching staff: Eduardo Docampo will serve as Moreno’s lead assistant, joined by coaches Jacint Magriñà and Víctor Bravo de Soto, fitness coach Javier Chocarro and goalkeeping coach Nico Bosch. Their contracts run for about three months through Nov. 27.

Moreno, the first national team head coach hired through an open recruitment process, will lead the team in six international friendlies through November. His performance will determine whether he stays on to lead Korea at the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in January of next year.

“Despite his relatively young age, Moreno has valuable experience leading both some of the world’s top clubs and a national team,” Hyun Young-min, chief of the KFA’s National Teams Committee, said in a KFA YouTube video posted on Friday. 

“We were particularly impressed by his ability to manage star players, his data-driven approach to match analysis and his tactical versatility,” Hyun said.

Moreno served as an assistant coach at Barcelona from 2014 to 2017 before working as an assistant coach and later head coach of the Spanish national team in 2018 and 2019. He later managed AS Monaco in France and Granada in Spain before most recently taking charge of Russia’s PFC Sochi in the 2024-25 season.

Moreno’s thorough preparation and commitment from the outset stood out most to the KFA.

“After his appointment, he immediately asked for the contact details of Europe-based players so he could reach out to them himself,” Hyun said. “He surprised the interviewers with his detailed understanding of the national team players, including their strengths in different positions, as well as key K League players and how Gimcheon Sangmu operates as a military football club.”

The KFA has already provided Moreno with a list of the 26 players who competed at the FIFA World Cup 2026, five players on the reserve list, as well as age-eligible players and potential wild card selections for the Asian Games.

Moreno plans to reshape the team around Europe-based players and K League veterans in September and October before bringing promising players from the Asian Games squad into the fold in November. The approach aims to accelerate the national team’s generational transition while strengthening cohesion.

Administrative constraints were behind the KFA’s decision to appoint a short-term interim coach rather than immediately hire a permanent manager.

“We seriously considered appointing a permanent manager on a long-term contract with next year’s Asian Cup in mind,” Hyun said. “But we also had to consider the ongoing reform of the KFA’s presidential election system and the final Asian Cup roster due by the end of November.”

The KFA used an open application process for the first time in the senior national team’s history. It drew 22 applications from Korea and overseas. After initial screenings and remote interviews, Hyun traveled to Spain to interview the finalists in person.

“We closely assessed each candidate’s tactical approach, ability to manage difficult situations and plans for dividing responsibilities among the coaching staff,” Hyun said. “Some strong candidates failed to qualify because their proposed coaching squad did not meet our requirements. Having established a transparent process, we will examine what worked and what did not and apply those lessons to future appointments.”

Moreno’s first match in charge will come against Ecuador at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Gyeonggi at 8 p.m. on Sept. 24. Korea will then play Uruguay on Sept. 28, Venezuela on Oct. 2 and Uzbekistan on Oct. 6.

His results across those four matches and two additional friendlies in November will determine whether the KFA keeps him in charge for the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia in January of next year. 

BY LEE HAY-JUNE [[email protected]]