Former head coach Paulo Bento, who led the South Korean national football team to the round of 16 in an away World Cup for the first time in history at the Qatar World Cup, has emerged as a strong candidate for the next head coach of a South American national team.
Following recent reports of a potential return to Korea, interest in his next move is growing as he is now being linked to the South American stage.
Ecuadorian media outlet Bolavip reported on the 18th (local time) that the Ecuadorian Football Federation is showing great interest in hiring Bento.
Another local media outlet, Aficion Central, also mentioned the Ecuadorian Football Federation, stating that they have "officially made an inquiry to confirm the possibility of Bento taking charge of the national team."
It added, "Bento was already mentioned as a candidate for the Ecuador national team head coach position back in 2023."
Ecuador, which is looking for a new head coach following the North and Central American World Cup, is one of the powerhouses in South America, featuring European big-league players such as Chelsea's Caicedo and PSG's Pacho. They are searching for a new leader as their contract with head coach Sebastian Beccacece ended after the 2026 North and Central American World Cup.
Given that it shares the same Latin cultural sphere and is a team with competitiveness for the next World Cup, it is observed that this could be an attractive option for Bento as well.
Amidst this, interest in Bento's future path is rising even further.
This is because he has received a love call from a South American national team at a time when the Korea Football Association has stated, "We have confirmed Bento's willingness to return to Korea through unofficial channels."
Bento has been on a break for one year after stepping down from his position as head coach of the UAE national team in May of last year due to poor performance in the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers.
Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Lee Da-in | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
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