KFA nearing self-imposed deadline to hire national team manager

Korea's football governing body has yet to hire a permanent manager for the men's senior national team despite saying it would do so by early- or mid-May.

KFA National Team Committee Head Chung Hae-sung speaks during a briefing at the KFA House in central Seoul on April 2. [YONHAP]

The Korea Football Association (KFA) has still not appointed a permanent senior national team manager as of Wednesday despite saying last month that it would do so by early or mid-May.

KFA National Team Committee Head Chung Hae-sung said last month they would start interviewing managers on the candidate list, which reportedly included former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch.

Marsch, however, on Tuesday was announced as the new manager of the Canadian national team. His call to reject the Korea job reportedly came after the KFA refused the American manager’s salary request, which was $2 million after taxes, according to the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily.

Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday reported that, over the weekend, the KFA denied talks with Marsch had broken down over salary.

Then-Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch waits for the Premier League match against Nottingham Forest at City Ground stadium in Nottingham, England on Feb. 5, 2023. [AP/YONHAP]

Had Marsch taken the helm of the Korean national team, he could have reunited with regular midfielder pick Hwang Hee-chan, whom he coached during the 2019-20 season at Austrian team Salzburg.

The KFA still has other foreign manager options like former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Bruno Lage and Mallorca manager Javier Aguirre, who are reportedly on the final list pool.

Then-Botafogo manager Bruno Lage looks on prior to a Copa Sudamericana quarterfinal first leg match against Argentina's Defensa y Justicia at Nilton Santos stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Aug. 23, 2023. [AP/YONHAP]

Lage coached Hwang at Wolves during the 2021-22 Premier League season, and Aguirre coached national team regular midfielder pick Lee Kang-in at Mallorca during the 2022-23 La Liga campaign.

Both managers have roughly 20 years of coaching experience.

Lage served as assistant coach and manager for multiple Portuguese teams, including his one-season spell with Benfica. He has not taken a new coaching job since being sacked by Brazilian club Botafogo in October last year.

Aguirre has coached multiple La Liga teams like Atletico Madrid and Espanyol. He also coached the Japanese national team from 2014 to 2015 and the Egyptian national team from 2018 to 2019.

Mallorca manager Javier Aguirre gestures during a La Liga match against Osasunaa in Pamplona, Spain on Tuesday. [EPA/YONHAP]

The Korean national team manager post has been vacant since the KFA sacked Jurgen Klinsmann in February after his turbulent one-year spell during which he faced criticism for a perceived lack of tactical awareness and failing to win the AFC Asian Cup, where Korea exited with a semifinal loss.

The KFA did not immediately hire a new permanent manager but instead appointed U-23 team manager Hwang Sun-hong on Feb. 27 as interim manager to take charge of two 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Thailand in March.

Once a new Korean senior team manager takes the helm, he will immediately have to prepare for two upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Singapore and China in June.

Korea will play an away game against Singapore on June 6 and face China at home on June 11.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]