Robert Moreno has walked into one of the most high-pressure roles in international football, tasked with the immediate restoration of the South Korean national team’s pride. However, the Spaniard’s introductory press conference in Cheonan this past Monday was defined less by his tactical vision for the Taegeuk Warriors and more by a bizarre, high-tech controversy carried over from his previous stint at Russian club Sochi.
As the first Spanish coach in South Korean history, Moreno is expected to bring a fresh perspective to a program currently reeling from a disastrous World Cup campaign. Instead, he found himself on the defensive, forced to dismantle allegations that his coaching philosophy at Sochi was subservient to artificial intelligence.
Robert Moreno denies using AI to prepare for games
The controversy stems from comments made by Sochi’s former sporting and general director, Andrei Orlov. Following Moreno’s departure from the Russian Premier League club in September 2025—a mutual exit triggered by a dismal start to the season—Orlov claimed that the manager had become pathologically reliant on ChatGPT.
According to Orlov, the AI tool was allegedly used for nearly every facet of club management, from designing training regimes to identifying transfer targets and even dictating starting lineups. Perhaps the most peculiar claim involved an away trip to Khabarovsk, where an AI-generated itinerary reportedly suggested keeping the squad awake for 28 consecutive hours. Furthermore, Orlov alleged that AI was used to make personnel decisions, specifically regarding striker Artur Shushenachev, implying that the software had bypassed the coach’s own intuition.
Addressing the media in Cheonan, Moreno dismissed the claims as a malicious fabrication. “It was a piece of news that is completely false and went viral,” Moreno stated. “Obviously I use technology. If you verify facts, you will see that much of what was reported was taken out of context and blown out of proportion. Anyone who spends 10 minutes looking into it can see that everything has been taken out of context and put together to cause harm.”
Moreno’s tenure at Sochi, which began in December 2023, concluded with a record of 22 wins, 17 draws, and 23 losses. While the statistics suggest a period of stagnation, the 48-year-old former Spain manager insists his reliance on data is standard professional practice, not an abdication of his coaching responsibilities to an algorithm.
Son Heung-min remains captain as Moreno names first squad
With the technology debate sidelined, the focus now shifts to the pitch. Moreno’s first order of business has been to assemble a squad capable of righting the ship ahead of a friendly against Ecuador on September 24.
At the center of his plans remains the talismanic 34-year-old Son Heung-min. The LAFC forward, who remains the face of South Korean football, has been named captain once again, signaling that Moreno intends to build his core around the veteran’s immense experience. Moreno was quick to praise Son’s utility, suggesting that the former Premier League star will be deployed in a flexible role. “We’re all aware of Son’s versatility,” Moreno noted. “For me, he can play in three positions.”
Moreno, whose current contract runs through November, is auditioning for a longer-term stay. Should his performance satisfy the Korea Football Association (KFA), his tenure could be extended through the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.
South Korea’s football leadership has endured a turbulent period
Moreno arrives at a time when the KFA is grappling with an existential crisis. The resignation of his predecessor, Hong Myung-bo, following a group-stage exit at the World Cup, left the team in a state of disarray. That sporting failure, however, was only the tip of the iceberg.
The KFA has been besieged by scandal throughout 2024 and 2025. Investigations into the hiring process of previous managers, parliamentary hearings involving former KFA president Chung Mong-gyu, and police raids on the federation’s headquarters have left the national football culture fractured. Most damaging of all was a recent government audit that exposed a history of misconduct, including the provision of “sexual entertainment” for foreign referees over a decade ago.
The weight of these administrative failures is arguably greater than the pressure to win matches. Yet, Moreno has displayed a diplomat’s restraint, refusing to dwell on the failures of the past.
“I have studied World Cup matches and players inside out, but I think it is inappropriate to publicly evaluate my predecessor,” Moreno said. “It is important to use whatever happened in the past as a learning opportunity. What is clear is that when you lose, many problems surface. But when you win, they fade away.”
Moreno has six matches to prove that he can make those problems fade. After the clash with Ecuador, the team is set to face Uruguay, Venezuela, and Uzbekistan, along with two additional opponents to be named. For a nation desperate to reclaim its status as an Asian powerhouse, the mandate is clear: start winning, and leave the controversy—and the algorithms—behind.
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