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Advocaat is South Korea's man [Tue Sep 13th, 2005]
Dick Advocaat of Holland has been named South Korea's new national team coach, an official said.
Advocaat, 57, will replace Jo Bonfrere, who resigned last month amid criticism over the team's poor performance in recent months, said Song Ki-ryong, a Korean Football Association official.
Song did not provide further details, including whether a contract had been signed and if so, its terms. He said the association would make a formal announcement at a news conference later in the day.
In July, Advocaat became coach of the United Arab Emirates national team, but his status in that post was unclear.
Advocaat coached Holland in the 1994 World Cup, in which the team lost in the quarter-finals to Brazil.
He then moved back to club football, winning the 1996 Dutch Cup and 1997 Dutch league championship with PSV Eindhoven, before winning the Scottish title twice with Rangers.
Advocaat rejoined the Dutch national team after Louis van Gaal's failure to take it to the 2002 World Cup, and he led Holland's qualification for Euro 2004.
He was fired in April as coach of German side Monchengladbach after less than six months.
South Korea, who became the first team from Asia to reach the World Cup semifinals during the 2002 event they co-hosted with Japan, have already qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Despite the national team's success at winning their sixth straight ticket to the sport's premier event, former coach Bonfrere came under mounting pressure to quit following the squad's perceived lacklustre showings in recent matches, including a World Cup qualifying match last month against Saudi Arabia.
AP
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