Iraqi national soccer team coach Jesús Casas is reportedly in the running to become the next head coach of the South Korean national team.
Spanish media outlet Relevo reported on Sept. 9 that it has “confirmed that Casas is one of the candidates for the new head coach of the South Korean national team.” According to the report, Casas recently interviewed with the Korea Football Association 홀덤 (KFA).
Kasas has been in charge of the Iraqi national team since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and he also coached the team at this year’s Asian Cup in Qatar. At the Asian Cup, they were in Group D, which also included Japan and Indonesia, and made a surprise run to the tournament, including a win over Japan, which was considered the favorite to win the tournament. They lost to Jordan 2-3 in the round of 16. Prior to this tournament, the team won the 2023 Arabian Gulf Cup earlier this year.
Previously, he worked as a match analyst and scout for FC Barcelona (Spain). From the summer of 2018 until the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he served as an assistant coach, assisting Luis Enrique and Roberto Moreno.
At an interim briefing on the selection process last month, the federation said it would appoint a new full-time coach by May at the latest. South Korea is scheduled to open its 2026 North and Central American World Cup qualifying campaign next month on June 6 against Singapore.