South Korea’s first Spanish coach Robert Moreno denies ‘extreme reliance on ChatGPT’ after sacked by former club

Robert Moreno, interim head coach of the South Korean men’s national soccer team, speaks during a news conference in Cheonan, South Korea, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (Ryu Young-seok/Yonhap via AP) Robert Moreno has taken on one of the most demanding jobs in international football with South Korea desperate to rebuild confidence, but his first press conference quickly turned into an unusual controversy from his previous role. The Spaniard was forced to deal with claims that artificial intelligence played an inappropriate role in his work at Russian club Sochi before turning his attention to an entirely different challenge: restoring faith in the Taegeuk Warriors.

Robert Moreno denies using AI to prepare for games

Moreno strongly denied reports that he relied heavily on AI during his time at Sochi, where he was sacked in September 2025 after a poor start to the season.The Spaniard took charge of the Russian Premier League club on December 15, 2023 and arrived in Sochi at the bottom of the table. He remained in the role until 2 September 2025, when he left by mutual consent after the club collected just one point from their opening seven games of the new campaign. His overall record in Sochi ended with 22 wins, 17 draws and 23 defeats.Controversy surrounding his methods arose after his departure. Former Sochi sporting and general director Andrei Orlov claimed that Moreno had developed an unusually heavy reliance on ChatGPT for a wide range of club operations.According to club officials, AI has reportedly been used for everything from planning training sessions and identifying potential transfer targets to selecting starting lineups and organizing trips. One particularly controversial example involved a trip to Khabarovsk, where an AI-generated itinerary reportedly suggested keeping players awake for 28 consecutive hours.The claim also included an alleged recommendation regarding striker Artur Shushenachev, further fueling suggestions that ChatGPT went far beyond just an analytics tool and became involved in key football decisions.Moreno rejected that portrayal when the subject came up at his first press conference as South Korea’s interim coach in Cheonan on Monday.“It was a report that is completely false and it went viral,” he said.Moreno acknowledged that he used the technology, but insisted that the reports misrepresented how he worked.“Of course I use technology,” he said. “If you check the facts, you will see that much of what has been reported has been taken out of context and exaggerated.”He added: “Anyone who spends 10 minutes researching can see that everything has been taken out of context and put together to cause harm.Moreno was named South Korea’s interim coach in August on a contract until the end of November. The Korea Football Association could extend the arrangement to include the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia in January and February, although this would be “subject to evaluation”.The 48-year-old, who took charge of Spain for nine games in 2009, is the first Spaniard to coach South Korea.

Son Heung-min remains captain as Moreno names the first team

Moreno’s first task is to prepare South Korea for a series of friendlies, starting with Ecuador on September 24.Son Heung-min remains captain after being included in Moreno’s first team. The 34-year-old LAFC forward remains a central figure in the national team’s efforts to bounce back from a disappointing World Cup campaign.Moreno highlighted the veteran’s versatility when discussing his plans.“We are all aware of Son’s versatility,” he said. “For me, he can play three positions.Moreno also used his first appearance in front of the Korean media to promise a more positive experience for fans.“We will try to do our job honestly and with the goal of making all Korean soccer fans happy,” he said.His appointment follows the resignation of Hong Myung-bo, who stepped down after South Korea were eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup.Moreno therefore takes over a team whose problems have gone far beyond results, with public confidence in the national side and the country’s football authorities badly damaged.

South Korean football management has experienced a turbulent period

Discontent over Hong’s appointment in 2024 had already sparked anger among supporters, but the World Cup disappointment has intensified scrutiny.Hong was questioned by lawmakers at a parliamentary hearing in July alongside Chung Mong-gyu, the former head of the Korea Football Association. The KFA offices were subsequently raided by the police in August.The federation also apologized after a leaked government audit said it provided “sexual entertainment” to foreign referees in 2011 and 2012.Moreno has made it clear he has no intention of publicly discussing Hong’s tenure, despite closely studying the team’s World Cup performances.“I studied the World Cup matches and the players upside down, but I think it is inappropriate to publicly evaluate my predecessor,” he said.Instead, Moreno wants past failures to become something the team can learn from.“It is important to use everything that has happened in the past as a learning opportunity,” he added. “Obviously, when you lose, a lot of problems appear. But when you win, they disappear.”For now, Moreno has six games to work with before the end of his original contract. After Ecuador, South Korea are scheduled to face Uruguay, Venezuela and Uzbekistan, along with two yet-to-be-named opponents, as they prepare for the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.