In the joy of successfully defending the National Cup title thanks to an emotional victory over Hanoi FC in the final, Mr. Doan revealed that coach Velizar Popov decided to extend his contract with Thanh Hoa for another two years.

According to Mr. Doan, Coach Popov signed a contract extension on July 6, one day before the 2023-2024 National Cup final. The decision to "retain talent" from the Thanh team's leadership is very wise, not only committing to the future of the Bulgarian coach in Thanh but also dispelling rumors about Mr. Popov's ability to "go South".

The 2-year contract renewal with Coach Popov has brought more joy to Thanh Hoa fans on the day the home team won the 2023-2024 National Cup. Thanh Hoa continued to play the final match of the season against Hanoi FC without the services of Coach Popov and captain Rimario due to disciplinary action. The home team even fell behind when Hoang Dinh Tung missed his penalty kick.

But the brilliance of goalkeeper Trinh Xuan Hoang, with 2 penalty saves from Tague Joel and captain Nguyen Van Quyet, helped Thanh Hoa come back to win 9-8 in the end. Thereby, the Thanh team successfully defended the National Cup title. The two titles in the Cup arena that Thanh Hoa won were both under coach Popov.

As the penalty shootout took place, the camera continuously captured the anxious and praying moments of Coach Popov. Then, the Bulgarian coach and his students burst into joy of victory.

The strategist born in 1976 was excited: “I have never experienced such intense and emotional matches in my coaching career. Too emotional and happy. Hanoi FC is very strong, but we played very resiliently to successfully defend the title we won last season. Surely this victory will make me remember it for a long time, following me throughout my career.”

Sharing about re-signing a 2-year contract with Thanh Hoa, Mr. Popov said: “I really like the football atmosphere in Thanh Hoa. We have overcome difficulties together to win 2 National Cup titles and 1 Super Cup. This achievement brings great emotions to me, so I decided to stay in Thanh Hoa to continue conquering other peaks in the future.”

TAM HA