The world is seeing the harsh treatment of the Football Federation and fans of 2 countries, South Korea and Uruguay, due to the disappointing results at the 2026 World Cup. Cancellation of private flights, cancellation of welcoming plans, promises of a fever of anger waiting to return...
The appointment of the former defender who has worn the national team jersey 136 times and is a key member who created the feat of reaching the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup took place from July 2024. Meaning that after exactly 2 years, the issue of "capacity" was mentioned as a reason for the team's failure at the 2026 World Cup. But it should also be remembered that, at that time, KFA President Chung Mong-gyu, who preferred a foreign coach to a domestic figure, tried to intervene in the process, but could not reverse it due to the support of the executives and committee members.
You can separate the roles of player and coach to talk about ability, but in the role of captain, Hong Myung-bo once helped the Korean U23 team win a bronze medal at the 2010 Asian Games, a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics, 2 times won the K League 1 with Ulsan Hyundai and together with the Korean national team won the runner-up position at the 2025 East Asian Championship. Of course, when disappointing in the biggest playground in the world, the influence will be much greater and the consequences are inevitable.
On the other side of the ocean, Marcelo Bielsa is more famous than Hong Myung-bo, and was highly expected when he joined the Uruguayan Football Federation 3 years ago. However, his problem is not his ability after what on his career path has turned him into one of the most influential coaches in the past 50 years. His problem is management skills in a new football world, where players are no longer simply "discipline", "obeying orders", but sometimes also need "emotional caresses".
Bielsa also had an initial impressive period, but then gradually the team's wheel went off course. And everything broke down at the most important moment. So, as he said, and also true to Hong Myung-bo, "this is a term that leaves no legacy".
Cruel!
