Experience the key for next South Korea coach- KFA
SEOUL (Reuters) - Experience is the top priority for choosing the next coach of South Korea's national football team, the new head of the KFA's technical committee said on Monday.
Lee Yong-soo told reporters the organisation was in no hurry to appoint a successor to Hong Myung-bo, who resigned following the Koreans' woeful World Cup campaign in Brazil, despite the looming Asian Cup in January.
South Korea, who picked up a single point in Brazil and finished bottom of their group, also have two friendlies in September and Lee said an interim coach could oversee those games against Venezuela and Uruguay.
"Personally, I think experience is the top priority, whether at the World Cup or at club level," South Korea's Yonhap News agency quoted Lee as saying.
He added that the committee would be looking at both domestic and foreign candidates for the job.
Neil Lennon, the former manager of Celtic, has been linked with the post in various media reports. Lennon worked with South Korean players Ki Sung-yueng and Cha Du-ri at the Scottish champions.
Other names mentioned are former Dutch international Frank Rijkaard and the former Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham coach Martin Jol.
MIXED SUCCESS
"I cannot give you names at the moment, although several have been mentioned in media," Lee said. "The ideal coach is someone who has not only delivered good performances but also has a vision that can make positive changes for young players.
"If we go for a foreign coach, I would like to make a decision by September at the latest so that we can have him watch our matches."
Lee, who also commentates for South Korean television and is a professor of physical education at Seoul's Sejong University, is returning to the post after an absence of 12 years.
He headed the committee in 2002 when Guus Hiddink coached the Koreans to fourth place at the World Cup on home soil.
Lee said the committee would have to weigh up the pros and cons of having a foreign coach.
"A foreign coach will know all about the changes in international football and help us show our potential on the world stage," he said, adding, however, that hiring a local coach might create fewer issues.
"The good thing about having a local coach is he won't need much time to adapt. He will be able to create the atmosphere and the team he wants quite quickly."
South Korea have enjoyed mixed success under foreign coaches, with Hiddink and compatriot Dick Advocaat getting the best out of them while others such as Pim Verbeek, Humberto Coelho and Jo Bonfrere have failed to deliver.
Lee said the technical committee would meet on Wednesday to review some of the candidates.
(Additional reporting by Narae Kim; Writing by Peter Rutherford; Editing by John O'Brien)