South Korea has appointed former Spain head coach Robert Moreno as interim manager of its national football team, the Korea Football Association (KFA) announced Tuesday. Moreno’s appointment comes amid widespread scrutiny following South Korea’s disappointing early exit from the World Cup in North America in June, as well as ongoing controversies surrounding the team’s leadership and the KFA itself.

Moreno, 48, will initially oversee South Korea’s friendly matches scheduled for September and October. The team will face Ecuador and Uruguay at home in September, followed by matches against Venezuela and Uzbekistan in October. The KFA has indicated that Moreno may continue as head coach for the upcoming Asian Cup, which is set to take place in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5, pending an evaluation of his performance during the friendly fixtures.

The national team has been without a permanent head coach since Hong Myung-bo resigned shortly after the team’s surprising World Cup group-stage elimination. Hong’s departure did little to alleviate public dissatisfaction with the team’s results and sparked further criticism concerning the process that led to his hiring in 2024. Authorities raided KFA headquarters last month as part of an ongoing investigation into Hong’s appointment.

In addition to coaching controversies, the KFA faced serious allegations concerning the provision of sexual entertainment for foreign referees during domestic matches, casting a shadow over the organization. The association issued a public apology addressing these claims amid the heightened scrutiny.

Moreno, who has previously managed Spain and recently coached in Russia, where he denied allegations of using artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT in his game preparations, was selected through an open recruitment process according to the KFA. The association emphasized the need to restore stability and confidence in the national program as South Korea prepares for key competitions in the near future.