Who replaces coach Kim Sang Sik in the Vietnam team?

Coach Kim Sang Sik says goodbye to Vietnam team

Next November, Coach Kim Sang Sik will not be able to directly lead the Vietnam team during the FIFA Days training session as usual. The reason is very clear: he needs to fully focus on the U22 Vietnam team, which is preparing to enter an important stage towards the 33rd SEA Games and further, the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.

Therefore, Mr. Kim Sang Sik's absence from the Vietnam team during this period is almost inevitable. With not much time left, the Korean captain is forced to prioritize U22 Vietnam, where there is more work to do, from playing style, team coordination ability to finishing efficiency which has not been clearly improved in previous tournaments.

At the same time, the Vietnam team will gather and prepare for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying match against Laos (November 19 in Vientiane). The absence of the head coach will certainly affect the preparation process, but this is not the first time that coach Kim Sang Sik has given the command to someone else, so the operating trajectory will also be stable.

Coach Kim Sang Sik will leave the Vietnam team and focus on U22 Vietnam.

Easy to replace, but...

As usual, or like the FIFA Days training session last September, the person entrusted with the task of "lecturing" instead of Mr. Kim Sang Sik is Coach Dinh Hong Vinh.

In theory, all training plans, training schedules, and tactics will be communicated in detail by Mr. Kim Sang Sik every day through his assistant team and online technology to ensure consistency in the team's operations.

However, the difference and concern compared to previous training sessions is that the upcoming training session of the Vietnamese team is not only to prepare for simple friendly matches to test or compete, but also to meet Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

This means that the nature of the training session will be different and much more difficult. At the same time, there is a high possibility that new players will appear in the upcoming training session of the Vietnam team to refresh the squad and create more competitiveness.

In this situation, training and assembling the team with new elements in the absence of a direct head coach will be a difficult challenge for the "regent".

Fortunately for the Vietnamese team, Laos is not a very strong opponent, so the pressure on performance is somewhat reduced. More importantly, according to the schedule, Coach Kim Sang Sik can return right before the match in Vientiane to directly direct the home team.

However, it is never easy for a head coach to split between two national teams. And at this stage, Mr. Kim Sang Sik's coordination ability and strategic vision will be tested more clearly than ever.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/ai-thay-hlv-kim-sang-sik-nhiep-chinh-o-tuyen-viet-nam-2457297.html