Commentary - Humberto Coelho

John Duerden reports from Seoul on Humberto Coelho - South Korea's new coach.

Humberto Coelho © John Duerden

You don't usually expect to pass machine-gun toting guards on your way to meet a national football coach, but then you don't usually expect to have a pristine football centre - a Peter Schmeichel throw away - from the most heavily-fortified border in the world.

Coachloads of tourists wind their way up to the top of a nearby mountain to visit the unification observatory and train their binoculars on the fake North Korean village just across the poorly-named De-Militarized Zone.

If they could swing their viewers the other way, they would look down on a training complex of 6 grass pitches and one artificial one, overlooked by a 44-room, hotel style building. The North Koreans would not be the only ones casting an envious eye over the National Football Centre.

Directing his avuncular gaze around the lounge is Humberto Coelho, the Portuguese coach of the Korean national team. Looking relaxed in shorts and a t-shirt, the legendary defender, dubbed 'Portugal's Beckenbauer', is looking forward to the imminent qualification games for next summer's Asian Cup to be held in China.

Sharing a qualifying group with the likes of Oman, Vietnam and Nepal may not get the juices flowing among Korea's many recently converted football fans more used to epic games against the likes of Portugal, Italy, Spain and Germany but the bushy-eyebrowed coach is hoping it will get the goals flowing.

Five games in charge for the former Portuguese and Moroccan coach have yielded just one goal, a welcome Ahn Jong-hwan winner against the current Asian champions, Japan, in Yokohama.

Otherwise, defeats by Japan, Uruguay and Argentina and a goalless draw against the Colombians are not the kind of results post-2002 Korea expected or wanted. However, there has been surprisingly little criticism of Coelho in Korea, unlike Guus Hiddink who was questioned at every turn by the press.

Maybe the flip side of the higher expectations in Korea is a little more football experience and patience among the public and the media.

These expectations will demand an Asian Cup victory, failure to qualify is not even contemplated and Coelho only raises token objections to the suggestion that qualification is a given. However as coaches do, he is talking down Korea's chances in the competition.

"I recognize that Korea will be a favourite but on the other hand it will be difficult, we are in a good position for the cup with four or five other teams. Japan, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia are among the favourites. The most important is that the players must be confident.

The past is very good, 2002 was fantastic now we have the Asian Cup and we have to think about the present and future. The past is a story, a beautiful story but now is different. We are looking forward to China and performing well."

The genial coach almost went to China via a different route. After narrowly losing out to Senegal as coach of Morocco in their bid to qualify for the 2002 World Cup he was asked to leave by the Moroccan FA - a financial decision, according to Coelho, claiming that they could not afford to continue paying his wages - then China came calling. The two parties entered discussions but at the same time Korea were looking for an experienced 'football man.' The talks with Korea were 'easier and friendlier,' according to the former Benfica legend.

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There are some who would claim that the job would certainly not be 'easier' and would question the judgement of anyone attempting to succeed Hiddink as the coach of Korea. Hiddink succeeded in surpassing Koreans' wildest dreams and barely eighteen months later, people from all walks of society look back misty-eyed to that mad month. Surely it is not possible to come close to matching those magic moments? The perception is that the only way is down, as the recent 39th place in FIFA's world rankings demonstrates. This drop of 17 places, has caused consternation in a nation which takes such league tables seriously, doubly so as Japan are ranked 24th, even though they only reached the second round. 'Didn't we come fourth?' demanded the influential Chosun Ilbo.

The relaxed figure sitting on the sofa, claims not to be concerned.
"Of course, following Hiddink is a huge responsibility," he says, shrugging his shoulders. "However, we have lost that surprise element we had for the World Cup.

The teams that play against Korea now, what they will do they will prepare and concentrate more and more. They want to beat Korea and will be more aggressive. We have to prepare for this kind of thing."

Coelho is accustomed to being part of a team that everyone wanted to beat. A mainstay of the Benfica and Portugal side in the 1970's, he won 8 titles with Benfica yet his old team haven't won a title since 1994. Coelho has his own theory as to why this is.

'Benfica,' he explains, 'used to have a mystical power. When a player joined Benfica this mystique upgraded the player and made them powerful. They had a will to win like a warrior but nowadays, the opposite happens. When good players come to Benfica they become worse. Benfica is a great team with great potential but they have changed many coaches and presidents. The philosophy in the team has worsened.

Graeme Sounness was one of those coaches. Coelho nods and says, "but there were many problems in Benfica at the time, the situation was impossible. Now he is doing a good job at Blackburn."

Would he take the job? Coelho smiles and does a Pardew. 'Not now, I am the Korean coach. Benfica is a great team; it's my team and my country ('There's your answer,' laughs a Korean official). It's not my obsession but if they are interested I would think about it. Not now though."

Coelho would be welcome at Benfica after guiding his team to the brink of the final at Euro 2000. In the last minute of extra-time, Abel Xavier's hand came between Portugal and a penalty shootout with the French as well as the ball and the goal. The tall ex-defender's eyes expression remains affable though his eyes darken.

"I don't think the referee would have given that penalty against France. I don't think so," says the coach in a manner that suggests this is not just an opinion but a fact. The ensuing chaos does not sit easily on the Portuguese's athletic shoulders. "We must accept the decision of the referee even though it was very bad for us. I feel a little bit ashamed of what happened. You must keep your self-control. It was very difficult at that moment for the players after 120 minutes of a good game. It is understandable but you must keep your self-control."

There wasn't much self-control in the English defence when England and Portugal's two dark, wavy-haired managers shared the same touchline.

"It was a fantastic game, one of the best." Obviously this game brings back happier memories for the coach. "We played good football, and even when England scored the second goal, I said to my assistant, 'We will win this, because we are playing well.' We had respect for England but we knew if we played well we would win the game. If you play with a good technique against an English team normally, you will win. If you keep the ball you will be fine as England likes long passes, long shots and fast football. If you don't give the ball away the English players often just keep running around and become frustrated."

Forcing the obligatory Phil Neville image out of my mind, I listen as Keegan's conqueror goes on to explain why there aren't more Portuguese players playing in England. "All the long balls, running and fighting is too much work for the Portuguese. It is better to play with the ball. The Portuguese don't like to play without the ball, it's not the Portuguese way."

It's apparently also not the Portuguese way to predict England's chances for the competition or to comment on the 2006 World Cup. The way is open to China after three easy victories in the first three qualifying games for the Asian Cup. These victories, including an embarrassing 16-0 victory against Nepal, may make the goals for column look far healthier. However, the real test lies ahead.

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