"Lee Cheonsu Delivers Scathing Criticism: 'What I Really Dislike About Hong Myungbo...'"

Criticizing Poor Performance and Lack of Tactics in Detail
"Given Two Opportunities at the World Cup... Change Is Needed"

Former national football team member Lee Cheonsu has unleashed strong criticism against former head coach Hong Myungbo. He offered his analysis of why the Korean national team’s performance was poor at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America.

On June 28, Lee Cheonsu posted a video titled "I Have to Speak My Mind" on his YouTube channel "Richoonsu." In the video, he reviewed the overall performance of the Korean national team at this World Cup. He then pointed to former coach Hong's tactics as one of the main reasons for the team’s underachievement.

Lee Cheonsu expressed his frustration by saying, "Does it make sense that the failure at the World Cup is because of the Korea Football Association and just a few people like Hong Myungbo? What I really dislike about Hong Myungbo is that he was given two opportunities to coach at the World Cup. I’ve been criticized a lot for speaking out as a football person, but now people say I’m not criticizing enough."

Former soccer player Lee Cheonsu. YouTube capture

He continued, "Didn’t we experience this with Algeria? During the Brazil World Cup, we said Algeria would be an easy win. At that time, our analysis of opponents was lacking and our systems were underdeveloped, so I spoke honestly—but that’s not the era we live in anymore," he pointed out.

Regarding the South African national team that defeated Korea, he remarked, "This is not the Africa of the past. Of all the countries I have played against in my career, Ghana was the toughest, and I keep saying this. We simply do not match up well with them now."

Responding to criticism that the team was unprepared for playing in Monterrey, Mexico—a high-altitude location where the match against South Africa took place—Lee said, "The players' condition was extremely poor. Korean football has never experienced anything like this before."

He added, "We knew the schedule, so why did we respond this way? For a person with so much experience as a head coach, how could he not know that the players would have difficulty breathing and so on?" expressing his disappointment.

However, he added, "This is a sign from above. It is a time for change," and emphasized, "When problems arise, those responsible must not be greedy for their positions. The person who needs to take responsibility should step down as soon as possible. This situation will not change overnight."

Meanwhile, on June 29, the day after Korea’s elimination from the group stage was confirmed, former coach Hong Myungbo announced his intention to resign, taking responsibility for failing to advance to the round of 32. On June 30 at 3:51 AM, Hong and eight players from the national team returned to Korea via Incheon International Airport.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.