'We miss Bento': Korean fans call for Paulo Bento's return after Hong Myung-bo resigns

Calls for former South Korea manager Paulo Bento to return are growing louder after Hong Myung-bo resigned following the national team's failure to advance past the group stage at the 2026 World Cup — a tournament in which Bento had guided the side to the round of 16 in 2022.

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola on June 22 (local time), Bento has been out of work for more than a year. The outlet said Bento returned to coaching in July 2023 as manager of the United Arab Emirates national team but became unemployed again after a 2-1 victory over North Korea in March last year. "Bento is still waiting for an interesting offer," the outlet said.

The outpouring of support for Bento stems from the shock of South Korea's World Cup exit. Hong's squad was drawn into a group with Mexico, the Czech Republic and South Africa — widely regarded as the most favorable draw in the country's World Cup history. Despite fielding a golden generation that included Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae, the team managed just one win, beating the Czech Republic before losing to both Mexico and South Africa to finish 1-2 and crash out in the group stage.

Fans hold protest banners at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Tuesday as former South Korea manager Hong Myung-bo arrives back in the country after resigning following the team's failure to reach the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup. [Yonhap]

Hong announced his resignation Monday (Korean Standard Time) from the team's base camp in Guadalajara, Mexico. "I am sorry to the people who love and support Korean football," he said. "I intend to step down as manager of the South Korean national football team on Tuesday."

After Hong's resignation, fans flocked to the social media account of Bento's wife, Teresa Bento. A post she had uploaded six days earlier drew more than 4,400 comments. Fans wrote messages including "We miss you, Dad Bento," "I want to see Bento's build-up football, not some strange three-back system," and "Coach, please come back to Korea." The post has accumulated nearly 80,000 likes.

Fans' affection for Bento goes beyond the round-of-16 result alone. He led the South Korean national team for four years starting in 2018, maintaining a consistent build-up style of play throughout his tenure. Despite persistent criticism of his tactics, controversy over player selection and a disappointing Asian Cup campaign, he held firm and delivered a round-of-16 finish at the World Cup.

Bento has been on a break since stepping down as UAE manager in March last year. The outlet said he "is still waiting for an interesting offer."

dbsdn1110@heraldcorp.com