© EuroFootball.com
Former Netherlands national football team coach Dick Advocaat has agreed to train the South Korean national team at the upcoming World Cup in Germany next year, the South Korean Football Federation announced on Tuesday.
Advocaat became the third Dutchman in the past five years to coach the South Korean national team. Guus Hiddink led South Korea to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup, while Jo Bonfrere, who resigned last month, helped the team secure their sixth consecutive World Cup qualification.
Bonfrere resigned in August due to constant pressure and criticism from fans and the media. Although the Dutchman managed to secure a spot in the World Cup in Germany, a series of poor performances, culminating in a 1-0 defeat to Saudi Arabia in the final World Cup qualifying match, led Bonfrere to step down.
Representatives from the South Korean Football Federation stated that Advocaat's contract will come into effect on October 1 and will end after the World Cup. The contract includes the possibility of extension by mutual agreement.
Officials from the Federation said they had considered a candidate from South America for the coach position, but ultimately decided that a European coach would be more suitable for the team.
Following an unsuccessful performance at the 2004 European Championship, Advocaat briefly coached Borussia Moenchengladbach in Germany and recently agreed to lead the United Arab Emirates national team. However, Federation officials stated that the contract with the UAE team was legally terminated.
