The lifebuoy

Last year, coach Le Duc Tuan helped SHB Da Nang narrowly avoid relegation in the V-League. This year, the same players who helped him keep his job are continuing the arduous relegation battle. Now is the time for both coach and players to see each other as lifelines, aiming to retain their position in the V-League and their professional reputation.

On February 1st, 2025, the very beginning of the Year of the Snake,SHB Da Nang decided to change their head coach. Cristiano Roland, who had not been successful with the team from the Han River, said goodbye. The responsibility of leading the team for the remainder of the challenging season fell to Le Duc Tuan. Notably, not long before that, Tuan had to part ways with Hanoi FC due to below-expected results.

SHB Da Nang 's seemingly risky appointment proved effective in the final stages of the season. From being at the bottom of the table, by round 24, coach Le Duc Tuan's team had a spectacular escape in the last two rounds. They rose to 13th place overall, simultaneously pushing Binh Dinh (now Quy Nhon United) into direct relegation. In the play-off match against Dong Nai (formerly Binh Phuoc), SHB Da Nang won 2-0 to secure their place in the V-League.

The Ho Chi Minh City Police team (in red shirts) drew 2-2 with SHB Da Nang. (Photo: SHB Da Nang)

Coach Le Duc Tuan naturally continued to enjoy the trust of the club. He even moved his entire family to Da Nang, hoping for a long-term commitment to the team. However, the 2025-2026 V-League season continued to be a challenging one for Coach Le Duc Tuan and his team. From the second round to the present, SHB Da Nang has yet to escape the bottom four. In fact, the cycle of being relegated has lasted for the last 13 rounds. Faced with this situation, a month ago, Coach Le Duc Tuan requested to resign from the board. That was also the time when the Chi Lang Stadium team changed its president. The club invited Coach Tran Minh Chien to the headquarters as a new option for the hot seat.

Just when it seemed the hot seat had changed hands, many key players of SHB Da Nang directly expressed their desire to the management, hoping that Mr. Tuan would stay with the team until the end of the season. With everyone seeing each other as lifelines, the Da Nang team truly secured the necessary points at the crucial stage of the season.

One win, three draws, and one loss in their last five matches have temporarily propelled SHB Da Nang to 13th place in the standings, level on points but ahead on goal difference than PVF-CAND. SHB Da Nang faces three crucial matches against Hai Phong FC, Hong Linh Ha Tinh, and Dong A Thanh Hoa. If they achieve good enough results, SHB Da Nang will qualify for the relegation play-off. For coach Le Duc Tuan, this is exactly what he hopes for.

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/the-thao/trong-nuoc/chiec-phao-cuu-sinh-1040844