8 potential candidates to replace coach Troussier

Coach Hoang Anh Tuan (born in 1968, Khanh Hoa ).

After terminating the contract with coach Philippe Troussier early, VFF chose coach Hoang Anh Tuan to lead the Vietnam U23 team to the U23 Asian finals in April.

The coach from Khanh Hoa helped Vietnam win the 2023 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, led the Vietnam U17 team to the U17 Asian Cup and the Vietnam Olympic team to the 19th ASIAD. Before that, he was in charge of the U19 and U20 Vietnam teams and was the one who brought Vietnam to the 2017 U20 World Cup in Korea.

The current generation of U23 Vietnam players such as Nguyen Thai Son, Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Van Truong, Quan Van Chuan, Nguyen Dinh Bac... are all students of Mr. Tuan in the youth teams.

Coach Park Hang-seo (1957, Korea)

Coach Park is the most successful coach in the history of Vietnamese football, winning the silver medal at the 2018 U23 Asian Cup, winning the 2018 AFF Cup, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2019 Asian Cup, winning the gold medal twice at the 2019 and 2021 SEA Games, and leading the team to the final qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup - Asia for the first time.

Under his tenure (2017-2023), Vietnam has always maintained its position as the leading country in Southeast Asia, and is also the Southeast Asian country that has held the position the longest in FIFA's top 100.

With such a long list of achievements, along with his historical role and understanding of Vietnamese football, he is expected to be able to revive the team in the current challenging period. Currently, Coach Park is not tied to any club, except for his work at the academy and his role as senior advisor to the Second Division team Bac Ninh FC.

Coach Lee Young-jin (1963, Korea)

Lee was a close and long-time assistant to coach Park Hang-seo in the Vietnam national team and U23 team. At that time, he was considered the "brain" of his compatriot strategist, due to his in-depth role in analysis, technical guidance and strategy.

As a player, Lee rose to fame with the LG Cheetahs (now FC Seoul), winning the K-League 1 title in 1990 and the Player of the Year award in 1991. In 2003, he was voted into the Korean Football Team of the 1990s. He played for the national team from 1989 to 1994, making 51 appearances, and participating in two World Cups in 1990 and 1994. He currently works for the Korea Football Association (KFA).

Besides his high expertise, Lee is very popular with Vietnamese players and fans.

Coach Velizar Emilov Popov (1976, Bulgaria)

The Bulgarian coach used to lead U23 Myanmar, before coming to Thanh Hoa from the 2023 season. Here, he quickly made his mark, helping Thanh Hoa, with a star-less squad, play with ball control and beautiful attacks, winning the National Cup and the National Super Cup. In the 2023-2024 V-League, his team continues to be a formidable force, ranking fourth after phase I.

The only obstacle for the Bulgarian coach is probably his hot temper. He has been banned from coaching many times for criticizing and reacting harshly to V-League referees. If this happens in the national team, the inability to control emotions will affect the image of football and affect professional issues.

Coach Kiatisuk Senamuang (1973, Thailand)

Kiatisuk is considered one of the most successful players in Southeast Asia. During his playing career, he won three Tiger Cup championships and four SEA Games gold medals. In Vietnam, he and HAGL won the V-League two consecutive years in 2003 and 2004.

After ending his playing career, Kiatisuk became a coach. After two unsuccessful periods leading HAGL (2006 and 2010), he returned to work in his home country and led Thailand to two AFF Cup championships in 2014 and 2016, and won the SEA Games gold medal in 2013, before resigning due to conflicts with the leadership of the Football Association of Thailand.

In 2021, he returned to HAGL but did not win any titles. In the middle of this season, "Thai Zico" was allowed by Mr. Duc to go to Hanoi , leading the Hanoi Police Club on loan.

Kiatisuk can communicate in Vietnamese and is knowledgeable about Southeast Asian football, but is considered to lack ideas in building an attacking style of play as well as lacking personality in leadership.

Coach Gong Oh Kyun (1974, Korea)

Mr. Gong once brought Vietnam to the quarterfinals of the 2022 AFC U23 Championship. At that time, he made a strong impression by encouraging young players to hold the ball, coordinate short passes and play offensively. After that tournament, Coach Gong left Vietnam to study for a Pro license.

At the end of 2023, the 49-year-old coach returned to lead the Hanoi Police Club but left after only seven rounds because the team was going downhill. Gong once publicly affirmed that he lost control here because a club leader interfered in his work.

Recently, Gong returned to Vietnam but has not revealed which club he will lead.

Coach Mano Polking (1976, Brazil)

Polking failed with Ho Chi Minh City FC in the V-League, but then succeeded in helping Thailand win two consecutive AFF Cup championships (2020 and 2022). However, after Thailand lost to China in November 2023 in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, the German-Brazilian coach was fired.

In an interview with VnExpress yesterday, Polking said he was negotiating with a number of clubs and was excited about the possibility of leading the Vietnamese team. "I am willing to work anywhere, but clearly working for a national team is the most prestigious position for any coach," he said. Photo: FAT