Talks ongoing with Dutch coach to lead team Korea

The Korea Football Association is speeding up the nomination of Korea`s next national football team coach.

Voetbalzone and Soccerway, the Netherlands` two major football news sites, reported Wednesday that the Korea Football Association started talks with coach Bert van Marwijk as the next coach for Korean national football team.

Marwijk is known to be No.1 candidate among the three preferred coaches selected by the association`s technology committee. He was touted as signing contract with Belgian football club KRC Genk, which fell through. Technology committee head Lee Yong-soo is speculated to have gone to the Netherlands Tuesday to negotiate with Marwijk.

Yet there are many variables before signing the contract. Marwijk led the Netherlands` football team for the 2010 South African World Cup and took his team to the finals for the first time in 32 years. However, his team failed at the group preliminaries at the 2012 European Football Championships with losses in all three games. Marwijk had to resign before finishing his contract term scheduled until 2016 European championships.

He also led the Netherlands` pro team Feyenoord win the 2001-2002 UEFA league. As the helm of Germany`s Dortmund for three consecutive seasons from the 2004-2005 season, however, he failed to drive it to upper rank, ultimately being kicked out during the season. Marwijk served as the coach of Germany`s Hamburg in the 2013-2014 season, but the team was on the brink of being degraded for the first time. He was ousted as a result. Marwijk`s latest notable performance is his leading his team to the finals at the 2010 South African World Cup.

Portuguese football manager Fernando Santos is also among the preferred coaches for talks. He has been submitted to a disciplinary measure of being suspended for eight games in A match from FIFA. If Santos becomes Korean football team coach, he can`t play for the Asian Cup in January next year.