▲ South Korea head coach Paulo Bento waits for the start of his team's round of 16 match against Brazil at the FIFA World Cup at Stadium 974 in Doha on Dec. 5, 2022. (Yonhap)

(World Cup) S Korea-coach

(World Cup) S. Korea coach Bento not returning after record-long tenure

By Yoo Jee-ho

DOHA, Dec. 6 (Yonhap) -- Paulo Bento is not returning as head coach of the South Korean men's national football team.

Bento made the announcement in the early hours of Tuesday in Doha, moments after South Korea lost to Brazil 4-1 in the round of 16 at Stadium 974 in the Qatari capital.

"I have to think about the future. It will not be with the national team for South Korea," Bento said through an interpreter at his postmatch press conference. "I just told the players, the president of the Korea Football Association. This is a decision that I had already taken in September. It was set in stone."

Bento was the longest-serving head coach in South Korean national football history, having started his job in August 2018.

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