56% of Citizens Say "Ability and Fair Appointment Procedures"
66% Say "World Cup Results Are as Important as the Process"
More than half of the nation's population does not care about the nationality of the next head coach of the national soccer team, according to a public opinion survey.
On the 11th, Korea Research reported that in a survey conducted from the 23rd to the 26th of last month targeting 1,000 men and women nationwide aged 18 and older, 56% of respondents answered that "nationality does not matter."
19% expressed the opinion that a foreign coach should be appointed, while 10% said a domestic coach should be selected. The remaining 15% answered "don't know."
The prevailing opinion is that ability and a fair selection process are important, and there is no need to predefine nationality.
People in their 20s Prefer "Foreign Coach"... Older Generations Favor Domestic Coaches
Former head coach Paulo Bento of the South Korean national football team, which reached the Round of 16 in the World Cup for the first time in 12 years, returned to Korea through Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of December 7 last year and is raising his thumb during an interview. The age group with the highest proportion supporting the appointment of a foreign coach was 18-29 years old (30%).
In this age group, only 1% supported a domestic coach.
Support for domestic coaches was also low at 3% in the 30-39 age group.
On the other hand, in the 50-59 and 60+ age groups, the proportion supporting choosing a domestic coach as the successor to former coach Bento rose to 16%.
"The New Coach's Term Should Be Guaranteed Until the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup"
51% of respondents believed that the contract period for the new coach should be guaranteed until the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup.
29% preferred to appoint the coach until the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup and then re-evaluate based on performance.
Regarding the failure to continue with former coach Bento after disagreements over a four-year term guarantee, nearly half (46%) answered "don't know," withholding judgment.
Regarding the non-renewal of the contract with coach Bento, 33% of respondents viewed it as a "bad choice," while 20% saw it as a "good choice."
66% Say "Results Matter More Than Effort in the World Cup"
The most impressive players were Son Heung-min (45%), Cho Gue-sung (16%), and Lee Kang-in (14%).
Half (50%) praised the performance of Bento's team, which reached the round of 16, as exceeding expectations.
37% said the performance was as expected, and 9% expressed disappointment.
Additionally, a significant number of respondents believed that results are as important as effort and process in the World Cup.
66% responded that "players' efforts are recognized, but some level of results must back it up," while 34% said "the effort and process are important, so results are not that important."
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