Gerard Houllier or Mick McCarthy will be Korea Republic's next head coach with an announcement to be made this week, the Korea Football Association (KFA) said on Wednesday. They are the last two candidates on the list and the choice will probably be made on Friday, spokesman You Young-Cheul told AFP.

The KFA said last month it was looking for a foreign coach to succeed Dutchman Pim Verbeek, who resigned in late July after the Koreans' disappointing third-placed finish in the AFC Asian Cup.

Houllier, 60, is a former head coach of the French national team who has also managed Liverpool and Lyon. England-born McCarthy played for Republic of Ireland and then took its national team to the knockout phase of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™. He is currently the manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English Championship.

Sports Chosun newspaper said last week the association's general secretary Ka Sam-Hyun had visited Paris for negotiations with Houllier. Local media said around one billion won ($1.1 million) a year was being offered as a salary.