Former national team coach Bento said on the hiring of Lee Kang-in, “It should not have been judged solely on talent.”

Former national team coach Bento was passive in appointing Lee Kang-in.
“Lee Kang-in’s name was not mentioned until just before the World Cup.”
“Still, I think my mindset has changed a lot and I joined the national team.”

Bento, former national team coach. Reporter Kim Hyeong-jun

Former national team coach Paulo Bento, who led Korea to the round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, confessed that Lee Kang-in was not the type of player he wanted.

Former coach Bento, who is currently in charge of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) national team, praised in a FC Online YouTube video on the 25th (Korean time), saying, “No one can refute the fact that Lee Kang-in’s talent is outstanding, whether he is a fan, coach, or media.” “Directors and coaching staff need more analysis than that. They should not be judged solely on talent,” he confessed.

Former coach Bento was not active in hiring Lee Kang-in during his tenure. At the time, Lee Kang-in was selected for the national team ahead of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, but he remained on the bench, only appearing on the substitute list. In particular, in the warm-up match ahead of the World Cup, some fans desperately wanted Lee Kang-in to play, but Lee Kang-in could not play even for a minute, and the controversy over Lee Kang-in’s participation became a hot topic.

Former coach Bento said, “I didn’t put Lee Kang-in on the national team list until just before the World Cup. However, I couldn’t ignore Lee Kang-in’s skills while playing in Mallorca, and it seemed like there was a lot of change in his mindset, so I hired him.”

Former coach Bento then said, “Lee Kang-in has proven himself through a change in mindset and performance in Mallorca. He has become a completely different player in Mallorca.” He added, “The two important people who led his change are himself and club coach Javier Aguirre. Lee Kang-in “I think he acknowledged that he needs to change his style, and Coach Aguirre must have given him the confidence to make that change,” he said.

Regarding Korea, which was eliminated in the semifinals at the 2023 Qatar Asian Cup, former coach Bento said, “Even though we are in a different team now, we are always watching the Korean team. We should not put too much pressure on the players,” and added, “We should not put too much pressure on the players.” “I will be playing for my country and my team,” he added.

Lee Jae Choi intern reporter [email protected]