And then there were none: Korea left without a manager as talks break down

Talks have broken down with all of the KFA's chosen candidates to take the helm of the Korean national team, pushing the vacancy to a fourth month and leaving Son Heung-min and the squad in the hands of another caretaker manager. What went wrong?

Jesus Casas, Senol Gunes and Jesse Marsch [EPA; AFP; REUTERS/YONHAP]

Talks have broken down with all of the Korea Football Association's chosen candidates to take the helm of the Korean national team, according to multiple reports this week, pushing the vacancy to a fourth month and leaving Son Heung-min and the squad in the hands of another caretaker manager.

The KFA announced Monday that it has appointed former Lion City Sailors manager Kim Do-hoon as interim manager for the senior squad to take charge of two upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June. The KFA had initially planned to appoint a permanent manager by early or mid-May.

The position has been vacant since the KFA removed Jurgen Klinsmann from the post in February after a turbulent one-year spell during which he faced criticism for a perceived lack of tactical awareness and failure to win the AFC Asian Cup.

Former Ulsan Hyundai manager Kim Do-hoon poses with the AFC Champions League trophy after beating Persepolis in the final on Dec. 19, 2020. [AFC]

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

Multiple foreign candidates have reportedly been on the KFA radar since Klinsmann left the position, but recent reports from Korean media indicate that talks with all the top candidates have broken down.

But who was rumored to be on the KFA’s shortlist and what went wrong?

Jesse Marsch

Former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch was reportedly the No. 1 candidate.

Then-FC Salzburg's manager Jesse Marsch looks on prior to a Champions League match against Napoli in Salzburg, Austria on Oct. 23, 2019. [EPA/YONHAP]

Marsch, however, was named as the new manager for the Canadian national team on May 14, summarily ending all speculation that he could take the Korea job.

The JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, reported on May 14 that the talks failed after the KFA refused his salary request, which was $2 million after taxes.

It remains unclear whether that was the sole factor, however, as Yonhap News Agency reported on the same day that the KFA maintains that salary was not the issue.

Jesus Casas

Iraqi national team manager Jesus Casas was said to be the No. 2 candidate.

Iraqi national team manager Jesus Casas watches an AFC Asian Cup match against Jordan at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on Jan. 29, 2024. [AFP/YONHAP]

After taking the helm of Iraq, Casas won the Arabian Gulf Cup and reached the round of 16 of the AFC Asian Cup in January.

The KFA failed to bring Casas in, as Middle Eastern media reported last week that he rejected the Korea job because he wants to stay in his current role until his contract ends in December 2026.

KFA National Team Committee Head Chung Hae-sung also told Korean broadcaster KBS earlier this month that the talks with Casas had failed.

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

Chung told broadcaster MBC that he was not actually involved in the negotiation process with Marsch and Casas, as the National Team Committee only has the right to recommend candidates, not attempt to deal with them.

The talks with the top candidates reportedly failed because of disagreement over salary and how much of the year managers would need to spend in Korea.

Senol Gunes

Former Turkish national team manager Senol Gunes, 71, was also reportedly shortlisted for the Korea job.

Then-Besiktas manager Senol Gunes looks on before a Europa Conference League match against FC Lugano at Vodafone Park in Istanbul, Turkey on Oct. 5, 2023. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Turkish newspaper Akdeniz Gercek reported last week that Gunes had reached a three-year deal with the KFA to take charge of the Korean national team.

But Yonhap later reported that Chung said that is not true and the role has not been filled. Turkish media then reported that the KFA rejected Gunes because of his age.

Had Gunes taken the job, it would have been his second managerial stint in Korea. The Turkish manager led K League 1 team FC Seoul from 2007 to 2009.

It remains unclear whether the KFA is still negotiating a deal with Gunes or talks have completely failed.

Bring in the caretaker

KBS reported Tuesday that the KFA had the option to sign a third or fourth pick, but instead chose to appoint an interim manager again. The KFA also said that it will restart shortlisting candidates by September when Korea play their next World Cup qualifiers.

Interim manager Kim is set to leave the position after taking charge of two World Cup qualifiers against Singapore on June 6 and China on June 11.

Candidates that currently hold national team jobs will be less busy at the end of the summer when international tournaments like the Euros and Copa America have finished.

The new permanent manager will have to lead the senior squad from the third round of the World Cup qualifiers that begin on Sept. 5, if Korea reach that stage from the ongoing second round.

Korea, who are frontrunners in Group C with three wins and one draw under their belt, have yet to lock in a place in the third round. The winner and runner-up of each of the nine second round groups will advance.

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