Former Ireland boss Colin Bell has South Korea daring to dream
The World Cup presents Colin Bell his latest opportunity of elevating the team that likes to sit on the floor to new heights.
When the former Ireland manager took over South Korea almost four years ago, he was perplexed upon entering the dressing-room to deliver his pep talk for his first game against China.
“All of the players sat on the floor looking up at me,” he explained. “We’re in this superb dressing-room with cabinets specially made for each player but that’s their custom.
“If that’s tradition, I wasn’t going to change it. Even this week for a long team meeting at our base in Australia, the players stayed on the floor. They prefer it as a squad.”
Bell is now able to articulate his messages in their native tongue. His translator remains his companion but twice-per-week language lessons for the Englishman have brought him closer to his players.
“I’ve learnt from my time here that it’s important they feel the emotion of my instructions,” he explained.
“I’ll write down in Korean beforehand what I plan to tell them and they seem to get the message.”
His teachings are being absorbed.
Bell took charge in October 2019 at a time of turmoil for the Taegeuk Ladies. Not alone had they lost all three games at the World Cup but the manager who followed, Choi In-cheul, lasted only days amid allegations of physical and verbal assaults on players.
Bell, then four months on from quitting the FAI for a short-lived spell with Huddersfield Town’s men’s team, became their first-ever foreign coach.
Since then, he’s resurrected their Fifa ranking to 15 and has them daring to believe at this World Cup, their third on the trot.
Grouped with Germany, Morocco and Tuesday’s opening opponents in Sydney, Colombia, his team ought to be there
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