On October 12, Beijing time (CET), according to Korean media outlet FOOTBALLIST, many journalists were aware of problems within the Korean national team but remained silent to avoid destabilizing the squad.

The outlet reported: Although the controversy surrounding the retirement threat during the October training camp has temporarily subsided, this does not mean that plans can wait until the November training camp. If the Korea Football Association fails to quickly ease tensions between the head coach and players, even a single day of delay could plunge the national team into endless turmoil before the next training camp.

The international breaks in September and October ended with a retirement threat controversy involving Hwang In-beom, Hwang Hee-chan, and Kim Min-jae. The collapse of leadership within the national team began years ago and has continued to worsen. Many journalists were aware of this but remained silent due to the lack of clear incidents or tangible evidence, and out of a desire to support the national team and avoid destabilizing it. However, during this training camp, the issue evolved into a conflict not targeting specific players, but the entire squad. Through other players, an atmosphere emerged suggesting that the "1996-born generation" might retire immediately. Initial reports claimed they had expressed their intention to retire, but after internal discussions within the national team, they stated they would not retire when they left the field that day. Judging solely by this outcome, it appeared to have played out like a farce.

However, this cannot simply be dismissed as a farce. After the match against Uzbekistan, the three players met with Hyeon Yeong-min, chairman of the Combat Power Improvement Committee, for discussions. Subsequently, Hwang In-beom, as the representative, denied the retirement rumors, and the situation temporarily calmed. But Hwang Hee-chan and Kim Min-jae never expressed such a position. When Hwang Hee-chan departed for Germany the next day, he refused interviews, saying only: "It (retirement or not) has not yet been decided," leaving persistent doubts.

This stems from the fact that the collective opinion of 1996-born players, gathered after soliciting views from multiple national team members, was not genuinely accepted. Chairman Hyeon simply appeased them and postponed the retirement announcement; he lacked the actual power to change the situation. Head coach R. Moreno sensed the unease permeating the national team before his appointment, but felt that taking special measures would be a burden. He neither accepted their demands nor explored alternative solutions; he took no action. Head coach R. Moreno told those close to him: "I am an interim head coach and cannot bring about significant changes to the national team." He knew the problems existed but managed the team with the vague hope that they would not explode during his three-month tenure, and things did not unfold as he wished.

The players who considered retiring remain silent for now, but less than a week has passed since the incident was revealed. When contacted, their agents also remained evasive. If they made a definitive statement, it could trigger major chaos regarding their potential retirement. Some football fans might say: "Then just retire," but the association and national team cannot do that. Moreover, the current situation is already flooded with information and highly chaotic, making it very likely that an even greater storm will break. Journalists who previously remained silent about the national team's internal problems have begun revisiting past events. Once a certain line is crossed, countless uncontrollable internal stories could be exposed.

Rather than passively waiting for the November training camp, the KFA should actively seek solutions. The key here is speed. There is no time to waste on assigning blame or determining who should clean up the mess; immediate action is necessary to minimize further impacts. Two days after the national team was disbanded, head coach R. Moreno's staff showed no sign of action.

Traduit par IA.

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