Paulo Bento, the former manager of South Korea's national football team, has told the Korea Football Association (KFA) that he wants to return to lead the national side, it has been confirmed. The national team manager position is currently vacant.
According to a KFA official on Monday, Bento recently expressed his interest in the national team job through an association figure he is acquainted with.
"No documents have yet been submitted to the National Team Reinforcement Committee. However, Bento conveyed his interest in the South Korea manager position through an association staff member he knows," the KFA official explained.
Since the procedure for appointing a successor has not yet been finalized, Bento has not officially submitted an application. Nevertheless, his intention to lead the South Korean national team again has been confirmed.
South Korea was eliminated last month from the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, managing just one win and two losses. Former manager Hong Myung-bo resigned, taking responsibility for the poor results. In a video interview with Yonhap News published June 1, Bento said, "It is important to go back to the very beginning, clearly acknowledge each person's responsibility, and rebuild from scratch, from one to ten."
The association launched its search for a new manager, holding the first meeting of the National Team Reinforcement Committee on Thursday to work on appointing the next boss. As the process is in its early stages, Bento's intention has not been formally delivered to the committee as an official agenda item.
Bento led the national team for about four years and four months from September 2018, leaving his name as the longest-serving manager in South Korean national team history based on a single tenure. During his time in charge, he was so deeply trusted by South Korean football fans that they nicknamed him "Ben-buji," combining his name with the Korean word for father.
He achieved notable results, including reaching the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but left South Korea when his contract expired. He then took charge of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) national team in July 2023, before stepping down in March last year, and is currently taking a break.
