Paulo Bento speaks during the Korea Republic Press Conference at the Main Media Center on December 01, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Getty Images) As the Korea Football Association searches for a successor to Hong Myung-bo, local media have once again floated the name of former national team coach Paulo Bento.The association, however, has denied reports that Bento has formally applied for the job.Local media reported Tuesday that the Portuguese coach, who managed the South Korean national team for four years and four months, had expressed interest in the position through an acquaintance at the KFA. Citing an unnamed source, the reports said no formal application had been submitted but that a KFA employee had received a message indicating Bento was interested in returning.The reports came a day after the KFA denied separate media reports that Bento had formally applied for the position.The KFA said Monday that no formal process to appoint the next national team coach — including accepting applications — had begun, dismissing reports that Bento had submitted an application as "groundless."The speculation comes as the KFA searches for a successor to Hong, who resigned on June 28 amid mounting pressure following South Korea's early exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The KFA's National Teams Committee held its first meeting Friday to discuss reorganizing the national team management and begin the search for the next coach.Bento coached South Korea from September 2018 to December 2022, the longest tenure of any national team coach under a single appointment. He led the team to the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar before departing when his contract expired. Bento later managed the United Arab Emirates national team from July 2023 to May 2025 and has been out of coaching since.