Paul Bento: haven’t been invited to coach yet, Asian national teams have even less training time.

December 24-at the World Cup in Qatar, Paul Bento led South Korea to successfully qualify, which is a remarkable achievement. He left office after his contract with the Korean Football Association expired after he lost to Brazil in the 8-final. In an interview with Portuguese newspaper Chronicle, Paul Bento talked about his coaching experience in South Korea.
About why the coaching experience in Korea is so special.
Two of the most wonderful experiences of my coaching career were in Portugal, while coaching in Korea was my longest time abroad for a number of reasons. Because the success of the journey we started in 2018 and the resonance between the technical team and the Football Association is an important factor in achieving our goals. I find that the players are very professional, have extraordinary professionalism, they know how to make sacrifices, they always think about the team. From a competitive point of view, this is remarkable. And, from a personal point of view, the way I was treated there was always as overwhelming as the moment of farewell.
About the love you have received
With the passage of time, I received extraordinary treatment. In four years and four months, Koreans have shown great respect and love, which left a deep impression on me. What matters is not just the results, but the way we achieve these goals. What happened after the World Cup was even more exciting, and it only happened twice in South Korea’s history, in 2002 and 2010.
People’s enthusiasm made it difficult for us to leave, and there were anonymous people saying goodbye to us, whether in the place where we lived or at the airport when we left. Such moments will remain in our memories forever, for which we will be grateful.
Whether the decision to leave office has been reconsidered during the World Cup
To be honest, I have not reconsidered this aspect. In April this year, we had our first dialogue, and the Korean Football Association expressed its desire to continue to cooperate with us, and when we met again in June, we put forward our own terms. At any time, we have no discussion about finance. In September, due to differences over the length of the contract, we made such a decision that month, and I am sure the best option is to leave after the World Cup.
About whether you want to coach in the club or the national team now.
I don’t have any preferences. I have two long coaching experiences in Portugal and South Korea. We will see what happens next and then make our own decision.
About whether or not you have received an invitation to coach
Not yet. The World Cup has just ended and we want to take a break. Obviously, we know that something will make us change our mind, depending on whether it is attractive enough. In the national team, we must have more influence on the strategic planning of the game because we only have a very short time to train. In Asia, because we need to travel long distances, training time will be even less.