Paulo Bento expresses interest in returning as South Korea coach

Former South Korea national team head coach Paulo Bento has expressed his desire to return to the post, sources said.

A Korea Football Association official said Tuesday that Bento recently conveyed his interest in the head coaching position through a personal contact within the association.

"No application documents have been submitted to the national team performance enhancement committee yet," the official said. "However, Bento did express his interest in the South Korea coaching job through a KFA staff member he knows."

While Bento has not formally applied — the procedure for selecting a new head coach has yet to be established — his wish to lead the national team again has been confirmed.

The head coaching position is currently vacant. Hong Myung-bo resigned to take responsibility for the team's poor results after South Korea was eliminated in the wild-card round of the 2026 North America World Cup, finishing 34th overall and failing to advance to the round of 32.

Bento led the national team from September 2018 for approximately four years and four months, making him the longest-serving head coach in South Korean football history for a single tenure.

He guided the team to the round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup but left South Korea after the tournament without renewing his contract.