Portuguese President Congratulates Bento: "He Understood Our Football"

"He is a competent leader... Recognized for leading the Korean team well"
Bento, the second Portuguese national team coach after Coelho

On the 2nd (local time), coach Paulo Bento watched the Group H third match between South Korea and Portugal of the 2022 Qatar World Cup at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar from the stands. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (74), President of Portugal, congratulated Paulo Bento (53), head coach of the South Korea national football team, who advanced to the Round of 16 in the World Cup by defeating his homeland Portugal.

According to Portuguese media outlets Mais Futebol and Correio da Manh?, President de Sousa commented on the match after the Korea-Portugal game on the 2nd (local time) through a statement.

President de Sousa expressed regret, saying, "I like Bento, but I would have preferred Portugal to win," while also praising, "I cannot deny that Coach Bento led the Korean team well."

He then extended his congratulations to Coach Bento. President de Sousa said, "Coach Bento is a competent Portuguese leader," and "I acknowledge his good leadership of the Korean team," offering his congratulations.

President de Sousa also gave advice regarding his national football team. He said, "We have a better squad than Korea, but today Korea played better," and pointed out, "In football, it is not enough to be good; you have to play better."

He also evaluated the Korea-Portugal match as an "inefficient game," adding, "Although we will not face Brazil by finishing first in the group stage, it would be better not to repeat some mistakes for the next match victory."

Born in Lisbon, Portugal, Coach Bento holds Portuguese nationality and played as a player in the Portuguese league for a long time. During the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, he played as a defensive midfielder for the Portugal national team and faced the Korean team in the Round of 32 group stage match.

The match result at that time was a 1-0 victory for Korea with a goal by Park Ji-sung, causing Portugal to finish third in the group and fail to advance to the Round of 16. After retiring as a player in 2004, Bento served as manager of Sporting CP from 2005 to 2009 and the Portugal national team from 2010 to 2014, leading Portugal to the semifinals of Euro 2012.

Afterward, he managed several clubs including Cruzeiro FC, Olympiacos FC, and Chongqing Dangdai Lifan before being appointed head coach of the South Korea national team on August 23, 2018. He became the second Portuguese-born coach of the South Korean national football team after Umberto Coelho, who was appointed in 2003, and is also the longest-serving coach in the history of the Korean national team.

Coach Bento had to watch the Korea-Portugal match from the stands after receiving a red card for protesting to the referee following the Korea-Ghana group stage second match. On that day, Korea achieved a 2-1 comeback victory against Portugal in the final Group H match of the World Cup held at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar. Bento can lead the Korean team from the bench in the Round of 16 match against Brazil, scheduled for 4 a.m. on the 6th.

Meanwhile, President Yoon Suk-yeol also left a congratulatory message for Bento that day.

President Yoon wrote on Facebook immediately after the match ended, "The challenge begins again. Congratulations to the South Korea national football team for advancing to the Round of 16," and added, "Players, coaches, and staff, you gave the people great inspiration with your fighting spirit and passion."