'I did not return to the Vietnam women's team for money or status'

Coach Mai Duc Chung: 'Returning to the Vietnam women's team for love'

On the evening of February 20, Coach Mai Duc Chung and 4 members of the Vietnamese women's team, including Pham Hai Yen, Tran Thi Kim Thanh, Hoang Thi Loan and Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha, had a press meeting on the occasion of Mr. Mai Duc Chung being honored by the President with the title of Hero of Labor.

At the end of 2023, Coach Mai Duc Chung said goodbye to the Vietnamese women's team when his contract with VFF expired. However, just 5 months later, he decided to return. The strategist born in 1949 will lead the team until the end of the 33rd SEA Games, then say goodbye to the coaching profession.

HLV Mai Đức Chung: — Coach Mai Duc Chung still loves his job

"I think there is no one in the world like me when I decided to come back. The day I returned, many people were surprised," Coach Mai Duc Chung confided.

"A female player once confided in me: Uncle, if you quit the women's team, I will probably quit too. I say that to share that I returned to the Vietnamese women's team because of my love for the players. I did not do it for money or status," the 76-year-old strategist emphasized.

On his return, Mr. Chung set himself the goal of completing the final contract, with two goals named AFF Cup and SEA Games this year.

"Some people ask me why I haven't rested yet. Is it wise to stop at the top, because what if... the end of my career is not successful? But I'm not afraid of failure. I'm ready to face it with responsibility and confidence. As long as the team needs me, I will still be there," Coach Mai Duc Chung confided on the first day of the year.

The title of Hero of Labor will be the motivation for Mr. Chung "xe ca" to complete the final steps of the Vietnamese women's team.

'Never thought I would have to make a lesson plan for 5 players'

Coach Mai Duc Chung recounted the story that moved him the most: the journey of the Vietnamese women's team at the 2022 Asian Cup, where the team won a ticket to the World Cup for the first time in history. Even though before that, the team encountered seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

"I still remember the end of 2021, when the whole team trained in Spain. When I had just finished a friendly match to prepare for the 2022 Asian Cup in India, I was informed by the Spanish team that there were 3 Covid-19 cases. At that time, my heart was broken. Football is a competitive sport, with constant collisions like that. If their team is infected, can we escape...", coach Mai Duc Chung recalled.

In the following days, the Vietnamese women's team had many cases of infection. The "old general" seemed to be shaken when he called to suggest that the whole team cancel the 2022 Asian Cup. "I'm just worried about the health of the players. I'm worried that if they get like this, I don't know if they can play," Mr. Chung did not forget the unforgettable days before the 2022 Asian Cup.

The leaders of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) encouraged Mr. Chung and the whole team to wait. After the team meeting, coach Mai Duc Chung decided: those who were sick would stay in Spain for treatment, and those who were eligible would board the plane to India first.

With the spirit of "while there is life, there is hope", the entire capital of the Vietnamese women's team going to India only has 8 members: Mr. Mai Duc Chung, assistant Cedric Roger, delegation officials, and 5 female players.

"I never thought I would make a training plan for 5 people," Mr. Chung laughed as he recalled. During the first training sessions in India in January 2022, assistant Roger had to practice "ghost" kicking to make up the number of players. The 76-year-old strategist was emotional when thinking back to the days of arranging training equipment, but there was no one to practice the normal exercises. There were only 5 players (later 3) standing in a circle to practice.

"I wanted to give up and lose the first two matches to Korea and Japan. But luckily, the players gradually recovered," Chung affirmed. The rest is history, as the Vietnamese women's team beat Thailand and Taiwan in the play-offs to win a historic ticket to the world stage.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-mai-duc-chung-toi-khong-tro-lai-doi-tuyen-nu-viet-nam-vi-tien-bac-hay-dia-vi-185250220190432243.htm