VFF can appoint an interim coach for the Vietnam national team if it cannot find a suitable candidate to sign an official contract. In the current situation, the option of choosing an interim coach for 2 matches is likely to happen.
The next international matches will start from June 3 (according to the official schedule of the World Football Federation - FIFA). Before that, VFF must have a coaching staff and a list of players registered with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Thus, the time for VFF to find candidates, evaluate, negotiate and sign contracts is only about 2 months, not to mention that newcomers also need time to learn and prepare for the job. Therefore, choosing an interim coach for the Vietnam national team is a more feasible option.
VFF must urgently find a replacement for Mr. Troussier.
For the role of "firefighter" in charge of 2 matches, one of the factors that should be prioritized is familiarity. Normally, football federations will choose someone who has worked at the national team level, or invite a domestic coach.
Here are a few names mentioned by experts and fans.
Coach Park Hang Seo
This may be the first option that fans think of for the position of interim head coach of the Vietnam team. Coach Park Hang Seo is ready to return to coaching. The Korean coach is currently not leading any team.
Mr. Park just left the Vietnam team more than a year ago. He does not need much time to get used to his old job again.
The biggest issue is what Mr. Park and the VFF want. In addition, the salary for the Korean coach - even for just 2 matches - is not necessarily a small number.
Many fans call for bringing coach Park Hang Seo back to the Vietnam national team.
Coach Velizar Popov
The Bulgarian coach made an impression at Thanh Hoa club. On social media, many fans "recommended" Mr. Popov to replace Coach Troussier before the match in which the Vietnamese team lost 0-3 to Indonesia on March 26.
However, Mr. Popov is also a coach who likes to build a proactive style of play. He needs time for the players to "absorb" the philosophy and style of play. In addition, this coach's personality and temper are also risks when working with stars who are not his students at Thanh Hoa Club.
Coach Popov made an impression at Thanh Hoa Club.
Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem
The head coach of Hai Phong FC is the most prestigious "domestic coach" at the moment. His mark in the golden period of Hanoi FC is very clear. When he moved to Hai Phong FC, Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem also created a characteristic style of control-oriented play, although the quality of the squad was not as good as that of his old team.
Like Coach Popov, Mr. Nghiem also tends to build a proactive playing style, aiming for the long term, not a strategy to solve 1-2 matches. Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem's advantage is that many factors in the national team's force have played for Hanoi FC in the past and Hai Phong Club at present.
The head coach of Hai Phong Club is the most prestigious "domestic coach" at the present time.
Coach Hoang Anh Tuan
Many teams around the world, when they need a caretaker coach, will also appoint someone in charge of the youth team. Current coach Hwang Sun-hong in South Korea and Gareth Southgate when he first took charge of the England team in 2016 are examples.
Coach Hoang Anh Tuan will likely be the first person chosen to replace Coach Troussier. According to VTC News, Mr. Tuan is about to be appointed to lead the Vietnam U23 team in the 2024 U23 Asian qualifiers (taking place next month).
The coach from Khanh Hoa has worked with VFF for many years, taking charge of the U20 and U23 teams since last year. In addition, the stars of the national team from 1997-1999 were also students of coach Hoang Anh Tuan at the youth level.
Coach Hoang Anh Tuan has led Vietnam's youth teams for many years.
Coach Alexandre Polking
Mr. Polking could be a "two-birds-with-one-arrow" solution for VFF. The German coach has experience working in Vietnam and has not had a new team since leaving the Thai national team at the end of 2023.
Appointing coach Polking as interim manager for 2 matches to evaluate and calculate long-term if there are positive results is not a bad idea. The former head coach of the Thai national team was also in a similar situation when he received a short-term contract with the Golden Temple team in 2021.
Coach Polking has affirmed his ability in the Thai team.
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