Grateful for ‘fantastic’ experience over 4 yrs, ex-nat’l football coach Bento leaves S. Korea

SEOUL, Dec. 13 (Yonhap) — Paulo Bento, former head coach of the South Korean men’s national football team, bid adieu to his adopted country Tuesday, as he returned to his native Portugal following the end of his “fantastic” four-year run.

Bento, 53, coached South Korea to the round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar earlier this month, only the country’s third appearance in the knockout stage. After South Korea fell to Brazil 4-1 in the round of 16, Bento announced he would not be re-signing with South Korea. Bento said he had made up his mind in September.

He was the longest-serving head coach in South Korean national team history. He was appointed in August 2018 and oversaw the entire buildup to the World Cup, a stark contrast to South Korea’s preparations for the two previous World Cups when they went through last-minute coaching changes.

Bento was largely credited with instilling stability and structure within the team. He also earned praise for sticking to his guns and not backing down against tough opponents, and establishing a strong identity for the national team in the process.

In a message posted by the Korea Football Association (KFA) on its Twitter page, Bento thanked his players for their “professionalism, work ethic and their behavior.”

“It was a fantastic professional experience, with ups and downs,” Bento said. “But the most important was the capability of the players to react in the bad moments, which made us become stronger as a team.”

Bento also expressed his gratitude for football fans in South Korea and for his technical staff for their support.

“It’s time to leave and look forward to the future, wishing all the best for the Korean football,” Bento said. “Korea will always be part of my life, and the players will be in my heart forever.”

South Korea began this year’s World Cup with a goalless draw against Uruguay and then suffered a 3-2 loss to Ghana. Bento’s team rallied for a dramatic 2-1 win over Portugal, which, combined with a 2-0 win by Uruguay over Ghana, sent South Korea into the last 16 on a tiebreaker.

The KFA said earlier Tuesday it will name Bento’s replacement by February next year.