Coach Kim Sang-sik's assistants who left the Vietnam team this time include Lee Seong-joo (assistant interpreter), Choi Sung-rak and Yoo Seung-min (assistant physiotherapists). All three returned to Korea to continue their university studies.
Immediately after the old assistants left, these positions were promptly replaced. The new English-Korean assistant interpreter for coach Kim Sang-sik arrived in Vietnam before the Lunar New Year and attended FC Seoul's last training session at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center in Hanoi.
This time, Coach Kim said goodbye to many assistants who had been with him during the journey at AFF Cup 2024.
'Hot boy' translator and beautiful memories with Vietnamese football
According to information from journalist Jo Sung-ryong on Sport-G, interpreter Lee Seong-joo interrupted his vacation when he accepted an invitation from Vietnam. At the recent AFF Cup, Lee was also very famous on social media and was loved by Vietnamese fans for his handsome appearance and professional attitude on the field.
He shared: “If it was for money, I would definitely take another job in Korea with a higher income. But what I learned while working for the Vietnam national team is much more valuable than money. Through this job, I realized that football is not limited to 90 minutes of play. A match does not only take place on the field but also involves a lot of work outside. Both the team and I have to do a lot of administrative work. The work is very hard and stressful, but when I see the Vietnamese players smiling happily and being friendly, I have more motivation to continue,” he said.
Coach Kim has brought Vietnamese football success in a short time. He has a very high quality team of associates.
Photo: Ngoc Linh
Lee Seong-joo also shared his feelings after the Vietnamese team won the AFF Cup: “When the team won, my friends in Korea called me and said that television and social media in Korea were paying attention to the tournament. They said, 'You're famous now, Lee.' I heard that and felt very proud."
Along with interpreter Lee Seong-joo, two physical therapy assistants, Choi Sung-rak and Yoo Seung-min, had the opportunity to work in the professional environment of the Vietnamese team. They were introduced by Professor Lee Seung-jae from Mokpo University.
Assistant Choi Sung-rak shared: “When I came to Vietnam, I started to try my hand at the role of physical therapist. Our job is not only to massage or support the recovery of players after each match, but also to gradually build relationships with the players through gestures and language. After a while, just by looking at their expressions, we can understand what they want," he said.
Assistant Yoo Seung-min confided: “We were very happy when the Vietnamese players advised us not to rush back to Korea but to continue working here. That made us feel that our efforts were recognized. The players called me ‘little brother’ in Vietnamese. Every post-match massage was an open and friendly conversation between us. Those were moments that we will never forget,” he said.
Coach Kim Sang-sik and Coach Park Hang-seo through the lens of Mr. Park's son
PHOTO: ANH PARK CHAN-sung
Although he has only led the Vietnamese team for more than half a year, Coach Kim Sang-sik has brought the team to the Southeast Asian championship and, more importantly, changed the face of Vietnamese football after a period of turmoil following the reign of Coach Park Hang-seo. Sharing in an interview with Thanh Nien , Mr. Kim also said that Coach Park is a great source of inspiration for him. Coach Kim's next goal in the coming time is to find new talents and bring Vietnamese football to conquer the SEA Games and Asian Cup.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-kim-sang-sik-chia-tay-cong-su-3-tro-ly-nguoi-han-quoc-ve-nuoc-hoc-dai-hoc-18525020121204946.htm
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