Mr. Kim Sang Sik officially took on the position of Head Coach of the National “A” Team and the U23 National Team
Hanoi – On 6 May 2024, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) organized the contract signing ceremony and announcement of the new Head coach of the National ‘A’ Team and National U23 Team. Mr. Kim Snag Sik (Korean nationality) will be the head coach of the Vietnam National ‘A’ Team and Vietnam National U23 Team with a 2-year contract.
06/05/2024 17:01:25
Attending the ceremony, was Mr. Hoang Dao Cuong – Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Mr. Dang Ha Viet – Director of the Vietnamese Sports Administration; On the side of VFF, there were Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan – VFF’s President, the Standing Committee of the VFF, members of the Executive Committee of VFF, representatives of the National Coach Council, representatives of functional committees of VFF, the Board of Secretariat, affiliated units and other members of VFF functional office. The ceremony also had the presence of representatives of the coaching staff of the teams, along with many representatives of the press agencies.
As reported, after a period of promptly researching and reviewing candidates’ profiles, VFF has made contacts with potential candidates for the position of Head Coach of the Vietnam National ‘A’ Team and Vietnam National U23 Team, including Mr. Kim Sang Sik. In the spirit of cooperation, VFF and Mr. Kim Sang Sik discussed strategies for developing Vietnam’s national football teams and reached a mutual agreement on a 2-year contract. Accordingly, Mr. Kim Sang Sik will take on the Head Coach position of the Vietnam National ‘A’ Team and the Vietnam National U23 Team, participating in football events and international competitions from May 2024 to March 2026.
On behalf of the leaders of the Vietnam Football Federation, speaking at the ceremony, VFF’s Vice President Tran Anh Tu said that the successful signing of the contract with coach Kim Sang Sik is a result achieved based on consensus, spirit of cooperation, and highest agreement between VFF and coach Kim Sang Sik for the goals of the Vietnam National ‘A’ Team and Vietnam National U23 Team in regional and continental arenas in the coming period. “VFF believes that with the level and dedication capacity that has been confirmed in the player’s career competing in the top tournaments of Korea, Asia, and the world as well as aspirations and especially experience and with achievements in his coaching career, Mr. Kim Sang Sik, along with members of the coaching staff and the professional department of VFF, will build an effective playing style and promote collective strength for the Vietnamese national football team. Men’s competition achieved new success, completed the assigned tasks, meeting the expectations of many fans”, VFF’s Vice President Tran Anh Tu emphasized.
In his first statement after officially assuming the position of Head Coach of the Vietnam National ‘A’ Team and the Vietnam National U23 Team, Mr. Kim Sang Sik said: “As the Head Coach I want to tell everyone two things. First, I want to talk about ‘Loyalty’. I think the word ‘Loyalty’ is what describes my football life. My favorite football quote is “There is no player greater than the team.” Throughout my career, I sacrificed and ran for the team. I had a rough time after I became a coach. However, I have managed superstars and I was able to motivate them and achieve things together. I hope that players will become ‘Loyal’ players through this healthy competition. Second, I want to talk about my football philosophy. It is “Winning football with a Winning Mentality.” In football, winning every game is a miracle. However, we need the determination to win every match and keep challenging ourselves with self-sacrifice. If everyone in the team fights as one with this winning mentality, we will be able to get the result we want. I hope to make my football philosophy a reality on the field”.
The first mission for the new Korean Head coach is to lead the Vietnam National ‘A’ Team to compete in the remaining two matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026 – Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 in Asia, against the Philippines National ‘A’ Team at home stadium on 6 June 2024 and the Iraq National ‘A’ Team at away stadium on 11 June 2024 (kick-off at 01.00 am on 12 June 2024 – Vietnam time).
For the Vietnam National U23 team, new head coach Kim Sang Sik will also be provided with the best conditions to prepare for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers scheduled to take place in September 2025 and then the SEA Games 33 takes place in Thailand in December 2025.
In an interview with the press attending the event, coach Kim Sang Sik said that although it was his first time leading a national team, he always had confidence from his experience as a team player. The Korean national team participated in many major international tournaments, followed by his time as Assistant Coach, then head coach leading Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Club to win K-League 1 and the Korean National Cup. “With my experiences, I have an understanding with the players. I think Korean and Vietnamese players have similar thoughts. Of course, there are still differences, but I am confident that I will play the role well and will make efforts to coordinate with VFF to build a national team with the best-performing players. I hope to build a united team to achieve the desired results,” coach Kim Sang Sik said.
On the day he took over as head coach of the Vietnam National ‘A’ Team and Vietnam National U23 Team, Mr. Kim Sang Sik received many flowers and congratulations from football experts and colleagues, notably a flower from a fellow strategist and also a person who has achieved a lot of success with Vietnamese football – Mr. Park Hang Seo, former head coach of the Vietnam national ‘A’ team. Sharing about this, new head coach Kim Sang Sik said: “I was very surprised and thanked coach Park Hang Seo for sending flowers. When I decided to come to Vietnam, I talked with coach Park Hang Seo and he shared many stories and experiences. He also advised me to try to lead and connect players to play well. This is also my similar thinking with coach Park Hang Seo. I will also try to build such a team and help the players have the best development. I am confident in the development of Vietnamese football and in the potential of the football industry here. I have my preparations to work with the players to build a united team to achieve the desired results. For me, no matter what generation a player is, I look at it from the original foundation, regardless of whether they are new or old, to evaluate whether they are suitable or not. Therefore, I also hope that the players, no matter who they are, will make every effort to get the opportunity.”
