Football coach expects ex-defender to smooth communication within nat’l team

SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Yonhap) — South Korea football head coach Uli Stielike said Monday he expects former star player Cha Du-ri to smooth over communication within the national team in his new position.

Cha was named the advance scout for the men’s national football team last Thursday. The Korea Football Association (KFA) said its technical director, Lee Yong-soo, offered Cha the new job after consulting with Stielike. The former Celtic and Frankfurt player will serve in the role through South Korea’s last qualifying match for the 2018 FIFA World Cup next year.

“I welcomed the KFA’s plan without hesitation,” Stielike said at a press conference at KFA headquarters in Seoul. “Cha is a man who has served the national team for a long time.”

Cha, son of legendary attacker Cha Bum-kun, played 76 matches for South Korea and represented the country at the 2002 and 2010 FIFA World Cups. The 36-year-old retired from his international duty in March 2015.

Stielike said Cha, who is also a fluent German speaker, will serve as a “bridge” between himself and the players.

“Cha will have small influence on building our tactics, but he can surely help me in connecting with the players,” he said. “Cha will have a big role in pushing our players to go for victory in every match.”

South Korea football head coach Uli Stielike speaks during a press conference at the Korea Football Association headquarters in Seoul on Oct. 31, 2016.

The German boss was under fire after his team suffered a 1-0 defeat to Iran in Tehran earlier this month and fueled criticism by saying that they lost because the team lacked a striker like Qatar’s Sebastian Soria. Although Stielike later explained that his words were misinterpreted, the team faced questions whether there is discord between players and the head coach.

Stielike emphasized he had no major problems when talking with the players, but Cha will deliver various opinions from the players during their meetings or trainings.

“I know some players feel difficulty when talking with me, but I think they can tell their stories comfortably to Cha,” he said. “Cha had played with these players in recent years. His job is more like a (veteran) player.”

Stielike said Cha can learn many things to become a good coach with his new job. The former right back had been going through coaching training in Germany.

“He has the ability to become a good coach,” Stielike said. “I think his new job will give him good field experience.”

Some fans here criticized that the KFA gave Cha a de facto assistant coaching job although he doesn’t have the proper license to guide the national team players. Stielike, however, said Cha should not take the blame.

“He is trying to work again with the national team with good purpose,” he said. “I know there’s controversy regarding his coaching license, but it’s not right to blame a person who has decided to devote himself to the national team.”

In this file photo taken on June 1, 2016, retired footballer Cha Du-ri (R) hugs South Korea football head coach Uli Stielike ahead of the friendly match between South Korea and Spain at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria.