Korea can't adapt to Park life

South Korea have struggled after the World Cup

The Korean Football Association's decision to sack coach Park Hang-seo in the wake of South Korea's bronze medal at the Asian Games signals a rapid end to their plan to maintain continuity from Guus Hiddink's successful reign.

The 44-year-old Park, who was Hiddink's assistant during South Korea's amazing run to the World Cup semi-finals, survived just two months as his successor.

Little to cheer for South Korea's fans

"Coach Park lacked experience as a coach and leadership for the team,' Kim Jin-kook, the head of the KFA's technical committee, was reported to have said after the decision was announced.

Ostensibly Park's 'crime' in his first job as a head coach - he had previously been Kim Ho's assistant at the 1994 World Cup and held similar roles with Lucky Goldstar, now Anyang LG Cheetahs, and Suwon Blue Wings - was to fail to bring home the gold medal from the Busan Asiad.

However Park's team only lost to the eventual winners Iran on penalties after creating more than enough chances to have won their semi-final, in what was arguably their best display of the tournament.

Guus Hiddink - now at PSV Eindhoven

Park may have paid the price for publicly criticising the KFA when they decided to place Hiddink, who is now coaching PSV Eindhoven in his native Holland, on the team bench for the match against North Korea in September, without at least consulting with him first.

He was given a warning by the KFA for that outburst, in what was his first match in charge of the national team.

In a press release the KFA said it would try and hire another Korean to the post, although it did not rule out the possibility of bringing in another foreigner.