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KFA breached guidelines in hiring of S. Korea coaches, ministry states

The Korea Football Association (KFA) broke its own hiring rules while recruiting nationwide team head coach Hong Myungbo and excoach Juergen Klinsmann, the sports ministry stated on Wednesday.

South Korea revived Hong for a 2nd spell in charge of the team in July, ending a five-month wait on a new coach after Klinsmann was sacked in February.

Hong managed two World Cup qualifiers in September, consisting of a 0-0 draw with Palestine, during which fans mocked him to reveal annoyance at his appointment.

After Hong's employing experienced backlash, Korea's sports ministry began an investigation into the operations of the KFA, which kept that it never broke any guidelines.

Last week, Hong said his visit was not the result of favoritism by the KFA, adding that he took the job after satisfying its technical director, Lee Lim-saeng.

Hong's meeting with Lee was not a proper interview and Lee did not have the authority to advise a coach, nevertheless, the sports ministry stated on Wednesday, revealing the interim results of its questions.

(Lee) was associated with the process even if the KFA chairman and vice chairman, neither of whom have the authority to designate the coach, entrusted authority and bought him to take follow-up steps, ministry official Choi Hyun-joon informed press reporters.

The in person interview procedure between Lee and Hong on July 5 was different from that of other foreign coach prospects.

It is challenging to see it as a sensible interview process, as there was no pre-interview survey or an observer, but Lee had waited alone for a long time to conduct the interview late in the evening near his home, throughout which he asked Hong to take the coach position.

The KFA did not instantly respond to an ask for remark.

South Korean media have stated former Norwich City manager David Wagner, Canada coach Jesse Marsch and former Greece coach Gus Poyet were amongst the other candidates in the fray.

Despite its findings, the sports ministry stopped short of making the KFA scrap Hong's contract.

We anticipate the KFA to review the scenario and make its own decision from the viewpoint of popular opinion and common sense, Choi included.

Our audit did not find any evidence that prohibited procedures were taken in order to select Hong as coach.

However I believe that considering that the issue of appointing the national team coach is a huge issue that the whole country is interested in, the procedure and process need to adhere to the guidelines, be fair and satisfy public expectations as much as possible.

Final query results are expected at the end of October.

The ministry added that the KFA likewise broke rules when hiring Hong's predecessor Klinsmann in 2023 and that it had not enabled the National Group Committee, an advisory body that recommends the nationwide team's coaches, to function effectively.

The members of the committee had actually been left out from the process from the beginning and were unable to take part in the candidate interview procedure, Choi stated.

(source: Reuters)