Robert Moreno to arrive in South Korea as interim head coach of men's national football team

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- Robert Moreno, recently named interim head coach of the men's national football team, will arrive in South Korea on Sunday.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said Wednesday that Moreno will have a media availability upon landing at Incheon International Airport, just west of Seoul, late Sunday morning.

Moreno and his five-man backroom staff were hired en masse by the KFA on Sept. 1, as they will be in charge of South Korea's next six international friendlies.

The Taegeuk Warriors will host Ecuador on Sept. 24, Uruguay on Sept. 28, Venezuela on Oct. 2 and Uzbekistan on Oct. 6. The KFA is also trying to schedule two matches during the Nov. 9-17 FIFA match window.

Then on Monday, Moreno will hold a press conference at Korea Football Park in Cheonan, some 80 kilometers south of Seoul, to announce his first South Korean squad for the four matches set for September and October.

Moreno is stepping in for Hong Myung-bo, who resigned at the end of June to take the fall after South Korea's group-stage elimination at the FIFA World Cup. Instead of rushing to appoint a full-time replacement while facing a time crunch, the KFA opted to go for a temporary bench boss for the fall.

The KFA plans to have a full-time coach in time for January's Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup. Moreno is signed through Nov. 27 but the KFA said he will be given a chance to stay on for the Asian Cup, depending on the team's performances in the next six matches.

Moreno, 48, previously coached the Spain men's national team. He also served as an assistant for Luis Enrique for Spain and for FC Barcelona.