U-23 coach resigns after loss to Myanmar

Alfred Riedl, Austrian coach of Viet Nam “s national U-23 team, agreed to resign four months before his contract ends after Viet Nam failed to reach the SEA Games final

Following the team”s loss to Myanmar on penalties on December 11 night in Thailand and after a working session with the Viet Nam Football Federation on Dec. 12, the coach agreed to resign. The official decision will be handed down on December 13.

Viet Nam was beaten 1-3 by Myanmar in a penalty shootout after the semi-final match ended goalless, ending Viet Nam “s hope to bring home their first SEA Games gold medal in men”s football.

Riedl, who insisted on staying after the defeat in Nakhon Ratchasima, decided to quit after a day of consideration under public pressure.

The VFF is still negotiating with the Austrian coach so that both sides will feel a positive outcome was reached. Riedl will get 30,000 USD for the contract”s early finish.

Brazilian Edson Tavares was the first foreign coach fired by the VFF after Viet Nam lost 3-0 to Indonesia in the group phase of the 2004 SEA Football Championship, then called Tiger Cup.

Riedl, 58, has been at the helm of the Viet Nam team for more than four years. Riedl started to lead the U-23 team in July 2003, helping it win the silver medal at the 22 nd SEA Games held in Viet Nam four years ago. He also led the squad to a second-place finish at the 23 rd SEA Games in the Philippines in 2005.

Riedl”s contract was under review earlier this year due to his ailing health and the national team”s poor showing in last January”s ASEAN Football Federation Cup. But the Austrian coach still remained in the job as his contract was due next April.

Riedl, who took the national coach job twice before in the past ten years, is the only coach to have won three silver medals with Viet Nam in regional competitions. In his third time coaching the team, Riedl was most remembered for leading Viet Nam to the Asian Cup”s quarter-finals last July.

Vietnamese assistant coach Mai Duc Chung will take charge of the U-23 squad until the VFF find a new head coach. Viet Nam will vie for a SEA Games bronze medal with Singapore on Dec. 14 under Chung”s management.

VNA