Joao Aroso, Self-Proclaimed Tactical Mastermind Behind Hong Myung-bo, Leaves South Korea

Joao Aroso, the Portuguese head coach who served as a key assistant and claimed responsibility for the tactics of former South Korean national football team manager Hong Myung-bo, is leaving Korea.

Portuguese sports media outlet A Bola reported that Aroso is departing the South Korean national team, with an article titled, "Portuguese man leaves the chaos of Korean football after a disastrous World Cup."

Aroso, who was appointed to the national team staff following the arrival of former manager Hong Myung-bo, had previously sparked controversy with several baffling remarks.

In an interview with an overseas media outlet this past April, Aroso described himself as the de facto head coach, stating, "What the Korea Football Association expected of me was to be the field manager. The association wanted someone to establish the game plan."

He did not stop there, boasting, "The Korea Football Association even asked me to form the coaching staff, so I brought in everyone I recommended, including analyst Tiago Maia and the physical coach."

After the remarks caused an uproar in Korea, Aroso attempted to contain the fallout by posting on social media that "Manager Hong Myung-bo is a leader with rare capabilities and a dedicated attitude." He also requested that the media outlet remove the article through the Korea Football Association, creating unnecessary noise even before the World Cup.

During that same interview, Aroso expressed strong confidence in the three-back tactical system introduced after the national team secured its spot in the North and Central America World Cup.

He asserted, "While talking with Manager Hong Myung-bo, we concluded that it could be interesting to deploy five players when dropping the defensive line," adding, "Although training time was insufficient, the 3-4-3 formation was very effective, and the players accepted it well."

However, the tactics of Aroso, who had boldly claimed to be in charge of on-field strategy and promised successful results, ultimately ended in a major failure on the World Cup stage.

Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.