Robert Moreno named interim South Korea coach after World Cup exit and KFA controversies
On Tuesday (August 1, 2026), the Korea Football Association appointed Robert Moreno as interim head coach of the South Korea national team, the association said, a move that follows a disastrous World Cup campaign and a string of controversies surrounding the federation.
Moreno, who earlier this year denied reports he used ChatGPT while working in Russia, will take charge for international friendlies in September and October; South Korea have been without a coach since Hong Myung-bo resigned after their shock group-stage exit at the World Cup in North America in June. The team is also scheduled to compete at the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5.
The decision comes amid intense scrutiny of the KFA: public outrage over the World Cup performance was compounded by questions about Hong's appointment, and police raided KFA headquarters last month as part of an investigation into his 2024 hiring. The association also apologised for allegations that it provided sexual entertainment for foreign referees.
Moreno is set to lead home friendlies against Ecuador and Uruguay in September and matches against Venezuela and Uzbekistan in October, and he would remain in charge if South Korea arrange further fixtures during the November international window.
The KFA said the 48-year-old was selected after "an open recruitment process" and noted he would be the first Spaniard to coach South Korea. Moreno previously took over the Spanish national team on a temporary basis in 2019 from Luis Enrique and was appointed full-time in June that year after Luis Enrique resigned because his daughter Xana was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer.
Spain rehired Luis Enrique to replace Moreno in November 2019 after his daughter's death, and Luis Enrique publicly accused Moreno of being "disloyal" for attempting to remain in charge for Euro 2020. Moreno's club résumé includes spells at Monaco and Granada and a stint in Sochi; Russian media accused him in January of using AI to prepare for games during his time in charge there.
Moreno, who left the top-flight side in September 2025 after a poor run of results, denied the AI allegations in an open letter to Marca: "I have never used ChatGPT or any AI to prepare matches, decide line-ups or choose players. That is completely false," he wrote, adding, "My career in football began precisely through data and video analysis. It's what I specialise in and what made the difference in my early days."
The KFA said Moreno could lead the team at the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia "subject to an evaluation" of his performance, leaving the January 7 to February 5 tournament as the next confirmed milestone tied to his interim appointment.
