Mr. Calisto returns to Vietnam

On the afternoon of August 7, during a working trip to Vietnam, Mr. Henrique Calisto - President of the Portuguese National Coaches Association and Mr. Jose Pedro de Sousa Vieira - President of the Portugal - Vietnam Friendship Association visited and worked with the President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) - Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan.

Mr. Calisto's visit and work took place in the context of Vietnam and Portugal celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations (1975 - 2025). This is a meaningful occasion to contribute to enhancing sports and cultural exchanges and opening up new prospects for cooperation between the two football countries in the coming time.

Mr. Calisto has been involved in Vietnamese football for many years. He led the Vietnamese team to win the AFF Cup in 2008. Coach Calisto expressed his joy at returning to a land full of memories, and highly appreciated the strong development of Vietnamese football in recent years.

Mr. Calisto affirmed that in his current role, he wishes to contribute to promoting professional cooperation between the two football backgrounds of Vietnam and Portugal.

"Portugal currently has many excellent coaches working at the world's top clubs and teams. I hope to promote extensive cooperation between the two football federations, towards signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the future," Mr. Calisto shared.

Mr. Calisto also proposed to strengthen cooperation in areas where Portuguese football is strong, such as futsal (ranked 2nd in the world) and beach soccer. Implement training programs for Vietnamese youth teams at modern training centers in Portugal - especially the new center in the city of Braga.

At the meeting, Mr. Jose Pedro De Sousa Vieira - President of the Portugal - Vietnam Friendship Association also shared his interest in the journey of player Huynh Nhu at Lank FC in the period of 2022 - 2024. This is also considered a symbol of the connection between football of the two countries.

In response to the veteran coach's affection, VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan respectfully presented him with a yearbook "25 years of Vietnamese professional football journey" recently published by VFF.

The publication features memorable milestones related to Mr. Calisto's important contributions when leading Dong Tam Long An Brick Club as well as his journey to make history with the Vietnam national team.