Secret until the last minute Talking to Vietnamnet , a leader of VFF said that the search for a head coach to replace Mr. Troussier in the "hot seat" of the Vietnam national team is taking place according to plan, in the spirit of working carefully, step by step. Because the negotiation is very sensitive, VFF does not provide any specific information about the candidates. Only when the two sides enter the "final", that is, preparing for the contract signing ceremony, will the new head coach of the Vietnam national team officially be revealed.

VFF has just appointed coach Hoang Anh Tuan to lead U23 Vietnam, but the national team seat is still vacant. Photo: VFF

"We understand the special interest of the media and fans in the position of head coach of the Vietnam national team . However, at this time, VFF cannot reveal anything, because that will only put us at a disadvantage when negotiating with partners. I can only confirm that this time VFF is looking for coaches based on many criteria, through the National Coaching Council's professional assessment...", said the VFF leader. Recently, VFF has received many applications from candidates in Europe and Asia, including notable names: Kim Sang Sik and Kim Do Hoon (Korea), some coaches from Japan; most recently Marco Pezzaiuoli - an assistant to coach Ralf Rangnick when the German coach led MU... Previously, former coach of the Thai national team Mano Polking also expressed his desire to lead the Vietnam national team. Signing contract before June "VFF will sign a contract with the head coach before June to help the Vietnamese team prepare well for the two matches against the Philippines and Iraq in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia," the VFF leader told VietNamNet. With this revelation, it seems that the VFF has achieved positive results in finding a leader for the Vietnamese team. According to VFF's calculations, if everything goes well, the head coach can be introduced around the end of May, from there having at least 1 week to prepare for the match against the Philippines at home on June 6, followed by the away match against Iraq on June 11. Currently, the chance of the Vietnamese team advancing in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers is very low, but "there is still life, there is hope" because in theory they can still squeeze through the narrow door. But the important thing is that the performance and good results in the next two matches of Quang Hai and his teammates are a smooth start for the new head coach.

Vietnam team to have head coach before June. Photo: SN

In addition to the criteria of prestige, qualifications, and understanding of Vietnamese football, VFF "narrows down" candidates with good achievements in recent years, because they are the ones who keep up with the development of world football. Learning from the problems under Coach Troussier's reign, VFF prioritizes finding coaches who are capable of inspiring, connecting with players, and willing to cooperate with the media... "We have 2 months to find a head coach, so there is no need to rush. This time VFF is determined to find a coach who meets the criteria . But criteria alone are not enough, because in football, whether the coaches are suitable or not is important. Like Coach Park Hang Seo, perhaps before signing the contract, no one thought that the Korean coach would be so suitable for Vietnamese football," the VFF leader concluded.