Czech coach resigns after group-stage exit, comeback loss to South Korea

The Czech Republic's head coach has stepped down after the team suffered a comeback defeat to South Korea and finished last in their group at the 2026 North America World Cup. With his departure, both South Korea and the Czech Republic — the two sides eliminated from Group A — are now without a manager following the tournament.

The Czech Football Association announced Tuesday that it had mutually terminated its contract with head coach Miroslav Koubek. His deal had originally run through June 2028, but a wave of criticism following the team's early exit ultimately cut his tenure short.

The association had dismissed Ivan Hasek as coach after a 1-2 away loss to the Faroe Islands in European qualifying for the North America World Cup in October last year, then appointed Koubek in December of that year.

Born in 1951, Koubek had raised expectations by guiding the Czech Republic through the UEFA playoff to reach the World Cup for the first time in 20 years, since the 2006 Germany tournament.

The campaign unraveled quickly, however. The Czechs fell 1-2 to South Korea in their opening group match, drew 1-1 with South Africa, then were routed 3-0 by co-host Mexico — finishing bottom of Group A with one point from three games and failing to advance to the round of 32.

Koubek drew particular criticism at home for his overly defensive tactics and for keeping striker Patrik Schick on the bench for most of the decisive match against Mexico, only bringing him on midway through the second half. Schick added to the gloom by announcing his international retirement at 30 after the tournament.

In a statement published on the association's website, Koubek said the media's campaign against him — based on "half-truths and distortions" — was among the reasons for his decision. "In this atmosphere, I no longer see any point in working for the Czech national team," he said.

Meanwhile, South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo officially announced his resignation on Sunday after the team's group-stage elimination, saying, "I was ultimately unable to deliver the results the public hoped for. The responsibility for that rests entirely with me as the manager."

Captain Son Heung-min (33, LAFC) apologized to fans over South Korea's failure to advance past the group stage at the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup, saying he was sorry and that accepting the reality was painful, but that he would push forward again.