Hiddink stirs debate among fans
KFA denies reshuffle, yet petition to bring him back continues
Guus Hiddink has been called upon by some Korean fans to serve as head coach of the national football team once again.
An online petition calling for Hiddink, who led the national team to the semifinals during the 2002 World Cup, to take the helm showed few signs of abating, despite the Korea Football Association’s reassurance there will be no changes in the coaching staff until the 2018 Russian World Cup.
As of Sunday afternoon, over 2,300 people have signed the “Help Hiddink Take the Helm” petition posted on the Cheong Wa Dae website on Sept. 6, following a media report the Dutch manager was interested in the job.
The initiator of the campaign claimed the KFA rejected those fans’ request because of “monetary reasons” but the real reason they didn’t consider a coaching staff reshuffle is because, unlike some Korean coaches, the Dutch football leader won’t curry favor with the association.
“Koreans have crossed their fingers for the success of the national team during the World Cup which is held every four years... If the current lead- ership continues until the Russian World Cup, it’s obvious the results would be disastrous,” the petition read.
The online campaign will continue until Dec. 5.
Some football fans called for a coaching staff reshuffle amid the bashing of the national football team for their disappointing games, as well as their inappropriate demeanor during the World Cup qualifiers.
Head coach Shin Tae-yong drew criticism for his remarks during a media interview after the Sept. 6 match with Uzbekistan.
Asked about his plans for the national team for the remaining nine months before the Russian World Cup, Shin said he “thanked the Korean public for their unwavering support” for the national team to advance to the Russian World Cup. His remarks came amid the Iran-Syria match. The two countries were tied 2-2 at that time and the match was not over. This means if Syria scored more goals and defeated Iran, Korea would have not qualified for the World Cup.
The national team’s “excessive” celebrations after the Uzbekistan match also raised fans’ eyebrows. After the game finished in a 0-0 draw, the team threw manager Shin into the air to celebrate their advance to the World Cup. Their celebration drew a backlash from football fans. They said the national team players don’t deserve such a celebration because they qualified for the World Cup thanks to the 2-2 draw of the Iran-Syria match.
In the face of some fans’ calls to replace the head coach after the national team’s dismal qualifiers, Kim Ho-gon, chairman of KFA Technical Committee responsible for the selection and firing of the national team coaching staff, said Shin would lead the national team all during the Russian World Cup.
He said the media report about Hiddink “doesn’t make sense.” Kim didn’t hide his unfavorable feelings about the report which quoted an unnamed person close to Hiddink saying the Dutch manager would be willing to take the job if it is offered.
Citing his conversation with the Dutch manager, Roh Je-ho, secretary-general of the non-profit Guus Hiddink Foundation based in Seoul, said in an interview that Hiddink expressed his willingness to take the helm if this is what the Korean public wants. According to Roh, the Dutch manager made such remarks sometime in mid-June or early July after German manager Uli Stielike was sacked after South Korea was defeated in the qualifier against Qatar. “(His remarks) came during the Confederations Cup held in Russia, ahead of Korea’s matches against Iran and Uzbekistan,” Roh said.
His remarks indicate Hiddink was quoted out of context in the media report.
Kim reiterated there has been no change in the KFA’s position that Shin would lead the team until the Russian World Cup and stressed the football authorities had no plans to meet Hiddink to discuss the matter.
Shin said he felt bad about the news. “I do agree Mr. Hiddink is a hero,” he said in an interview. “But I don’t understand why his name suddenly popped up at a time when Korea was qualified for the Russian World Cup. I don’t believe he made such remarks.”
Shin said he came to realize how difficult being a head coach of the national football team was during the last three months after he took the helm. His remarks indicate he has been feeling immense pressure for the Korean public’s high expectations for the team.