New Coach for South Korea Denies Using AI for Game Prep

South Korea's new interim coach Robert Moreno said on Monday that he wants to make fans in the country "happy" after a bad World Cup and many controversies.

Moreno, who used to coach Spain, had to deny earlier this year that he used ChatGPT to prepare for matches. He will lead the team for friendly games in the coming months.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said he might stay on for the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia in January and February, "subject to an evaluation."

Moreno picked captain Son Heung-min for his squad for four upcoming home friendlies. He said he wants to bring back smiles to South Korean fans.

"We’re going to try to do our work honestly and with the aim of making all Korean football fans happy," said the 48-year-old. He is the first Spaniard to coach South Korea.

"Good matches, and trying to help the players."

Moreno will lead the team against Ecuador and Uruguay in September. They will also face Venezuela and Uzbekistan in October.

South Korea had no coach after Hong Myung-bo quit following their shocking group-stage exit from the World Cup in North America in June. Hong's departure did not calm the public anger over the poor performance and raised more questions about how he was hired.

Police raided KFA headquarters last month as part of an investigation into Hong’s appointment for 2024. The KFA also apologized for claims that it provided sexual entertainment for foreign referees.

Moreno picked striker Son, now playing in Major League Soccer with Los Angeles FC, in his first squad. He also included Atletico Madrid’s Lee Kang-in and Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae.

Many fans were baffled and angry when Hong left Son on the bench in the first half of the crucial match against South Africa at the World Cup.

"We’re all aware of Son’s versatility," said Moreno.
"For me he can play in three positions."

Moreno also spoke about claims that he used artificial intelligence while coaching Russian club Sochi. He left the team in September 2025 after a bad run of results.

Reports said he relied heavily on ChatGPT, even using it to decide on potential signings. Moreno called this "a piece of news that is completely false and went viral."

"Obviously I use technology," he said. "Anyone who spends 10 minutes looking into it can see that everything has been taken out of context and put together to cause harm."