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Poyet, Casas, Torrent eyed for interim Korea job; former Serbia coach seeks long-term role Attention is turning to who will take the helm of the South Korean men’s national soccer team, as the country’s soccer governing body prepares to name an interim coach ahead of a permanent appointment. The Korea Football Association has narrowed its search for an interim coach to three candidates — Gus Poyet, Jesus Casas and Domenec Torrent — according to local outlets on Monday. All three reportedly applied through the open recruitment process for the national team job, which closed on Aug. 9. Poyet is widely considered the front-runner. The 58-year-old has experience in Korean football, having led Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to a K League 1 and capturing the Korea Cup last year. He was also one of the three finalists interviewed for the national team job in 2024. Casas is also a name in Asian soccer, having coached Iraq since 2022 after a stint as Luis Enrique's assistant with the Spanish national team. Under Casas, Iraq stunned Japan at the 2023 Asian Cup. Torrent spent nearly a decade on Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City before taking charge of New York City FC, Flamengo, Galatasaray and Monterrey. Meanwhile, the search for a long-term head coach is also taking shape. In an interview with KBS on Thursday, former Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic expressed interest in taking charge of Korea long-term. “It is true that I am interested in the post,” he said. Stojkovic coached Serbia from 2021 to 2025 and led the country to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Having spent many years in Japan as both a player and coach, he has also highlighted his familiarity with Asian football. He described Korea as “a highly ambitious team with the potential and talent to achieve strong results,” naming captain Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, Seol Young-woo and Oh Hyeon-gyu among its key players. junheee@heraldcorp.com