S Korea make coach shortlist
South Korea's football governing body has shortlisted three candidates, including former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier, to coach the national team, a news report said Wednesday.
Frenchman Houllier, England's Mick McCarthy and Dane Morten Olsen were on the final list, the Seoul-based Dong-A Ilbo newspaper said, quoting an unnamed football official.
"We are in contact with the short listed three," the official told Dong-A.
The Korea Football Association would provide an annual salary of around one billion won (1.1 million dollars) to a foreign coach, the report said.
The association refused to confirm the news report, saying it was still in talks with a number of potential candidates.
"We hope to make some announcement before the end of November," association spokesman You Young-Chuel told AFP.
The Seoul-based Sports Chosun newspaper said Tuesday the association's general secretary Ka Sam-Hyun was in Paris for negotiations with Houllier.
The Frenchman became the technical director of the France Football Federation after leaving club side Lyon.
Sports Chosun quoted an unnamed source close to Korean association as dismissing Houllier's much-publicised health problems.
"His heart has been checked and there is not a big problem. There are no problems to stop him becoming coach," the source was quoted as saying.
McCarthy managed Ireland and is currently the manager of Wolves in the second-tier of English football.
Olsen, who led Ajax Amsterdam to victory in the Dutch league, has managed the Danish national team since 2000. He has extended that contract to 2010 while also coaching the Danish national youth team.
The Korean association said earlier this month it was looking for a foreign coach to succeed Dutchman Pim Verbeek, who resigned in late July after South Korea's disappointing third-place finish in the Asian Cup.
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