Calisto signs 3-year contract with VFF

Coach Henrique Calisto yesterday signed a three-year contract with the Viet Nam Football Federation (VFF) with a record salary and targets to fulfil during his term.

“When I agreed to be Viet Nam’s head coach for the second time in March 2008, we were 155th in the FIFA ranking. Now the team is 114th. This is a good result which saw the efforts of the VFF, myself, nationwide clubs and the national team members,” said Calisto.

“Life keeps going, so we cannot stop. I stay with the team because I want new successes. However, I cannot do anything without help from the players, the VFF and all of you,” he told reporters at the signing ceremony yesterday.

The VFF standing committee met on Wednesday to hold final discussions about the new contract with Calisto. VFF Vice Chairman Le Hung Dung, Secretary General Tran Quoc Tuan and Calisto all agreed with the 28-page contract. Calisto agreed to lead the national football squad for three years, commencing this April.

With the highest salary for a football coach in Viet Nam, Calisto, who takes responsibility for both the national team and the Olympic team, must defend Viet Nam’s AFF Cup championship title and attempt to win gold at the next Southeast Asian Games. The VFF also hoped that Calisto would make Viet Nam a name in Asian competitions.

“As a professional coach, you have to face pressure. I’m not afraid of it. One thing is that we should not dream about a team who can win all their tournaments. We are the AFF Cup champions, and other teams will have different looks and playing styles when they face off against us. It will be very difficult to defend our title”.

General Secretary Tuan believed that Calisto would continue his successes with Viet Nam.

“Defending the AFF Cup title, winning the 26th SEA Games and creating a good image of Viet Nam at international competitions are not easy tasks, because all of our rivals are strong. But based on our real strengths, I believe Calisto will still be a successful coach,” he said.