Fairness for Mr. Weigang

Thirty years ago, right after the end of the 1996 Tiger Cup, Thanh Nien Newspaper published a series of articles that attracted the attention of fans regarding the story: "Was there or wasn't there unfair treatment of coach Karl Heinz Weigang?"

It's not just a matter of professional matters, but also the behavior of some Vietnamese football officials towards the coach – Coach Weigang, who has made many effective contributions from Germany.

The beloved coach

No Vietnamese football fan can forget the contributions of Coach Weigang (who passed away in 2017 at the age of 81) in leading the Vietnamese national team to the Merdeka Championship in 1966 and the first silver medal at the 1995 SEA Games – marking the beginning of Vietnam's reintegration into the Southeast Asian region. At that time, with his diligent and scientific work style, meticulous training plans, and discipline, while also fostering the creativity of the players, Coach Weigang breathed new life into the team.

In particular, his fiery coaching style on the field almost completely changed the players' mindset, forcing them to play with all their might and constantly compete with each other for a place in the team. This is because Weigang never showed favoritism to one person or another.

Coach Weigang

Photo: Ngoc Hai

This approach elevated his role not only as a true coach but also as someone who was attentive and thorough in all matters. In every match, he would always stand close to the sidelines, shouting instructions promptly and motivating the players with gestures that ignited enthusiasm and a desire to win.

Thanks to his ability to quickly read the game, he made the team's performance consistently strong, forcing the players to constantly compete and clash to overcome self-doubt and increase their confidence in winning. He was the one who arranged for the team to train and compete in Europe against strong teams to hone their skills and fighting spirit.

He also showed his affection for the players by personally arranging for Hong Son and Minh Chien to go to Germany for knee treatment. It was this work ethic and dedication that earned him the love and respect of fans everywhere.

Coach Weigang and player Tran Minh Chien

Photo: TL

Former football star Tran Minh Chien, who scored the golden goal against Myanmar in the semi-finals of the 18th SEA Games in 1995, recalled: "Working with Coach Weigang was amazing. He might not be the type of coach who is easily liked because of his German personality – cold, strict, and sometimes unpleasant – but Coach Weigang always earned everyone's respect for his highly professional work ethic, straightforward personality, clear attitude, and demanding that those around him achieve the highest possible work efficiency."

Many other former players from that era also highly praised Weigang, saying that he not only had advanced training methods, strict work discipline, and a serious work attitude, but also possessed a wealth of knowledge that helped players broaden their horizons. "He was incredibly good at reading the game, making timely adjustments. And importantly, he grasped the players' psychology very quickly, as if he could read their minds with just a glance or a quick look," recalled former player Hong Son.

Ironically, Weigang was unpopular with some Vietnamese football officials during 1995-1996, so he was forced to leave after working for less than two and a half years. The climax of this intense conflict was the 1996 Tiger Cup in Singapore, when some officials of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and members of the Vietnamese coaching staff tried to make things difficult for him or not provide him with the best conditions to work.

Some even criticized him, saying he was just an employee with no say in team decisions, and there were even meetings to vote on a motion of no confidence against him. The atmosphere in the team at the Tiger Cup was quite tense. The players respected and admired Coach Weigang, but at times they couldn't help but be influenced by the Vietnamese officials. This unfair treatment truly caused public outrage.

The series of articles caused a sensation.

At that time, Thanh Nien newspaper published a series of articles over eight issues about whether or not there was unfair treatment of coach Weigang, plus an interview with VFF General Secretary Tran Bay which caused a great stir and contributed to restoring fairness for Mr. Weigang.

Photo: TL

Many fans agreed with and expressed their outrage at the way the VFF and some Vietnamese assistants treated the German coach. Many questions arose at the time: why did a foreigner who had brought immense joy and happiness to millions of Vietnamese people, who had brought light to Vietnamese football during the opening-up period, erasing years of backwardness, receive so much unfavorable treatment from Vietnamese football officials?

Then, public opinion began to uncover many bizarre incidents aimed at "attacking" Weigang. These ranged from the smallest details, like the "shoe stud" incident, to neglecting the team during training sessions and leaving him to fend for himself. There were also his statements to the media criticizing the team's playing style on the Jurong pitch in the opening match against Cambodia.

But the real turning point was the 1-1 draw against Laos. Weigang, with his keen observation skills, expressed suspicion that a group of players were involved in match-fixing, not giving their all in the game, and demanded that some players be sent home. He even stated frankly that he could not rule out the possibility that someone had influenced their minds, causing some players to lose their agility and no longer be themselves.

We still remember that in early 1997, when he was with the Vietnamese national football team at the Dunhill Cup in Malaysia, Mr. Weigang, during a casual conversation over drinks, said: "I am a professional coach, I came to Vietnam with all my enthusiasm and I also want to do my best. Perhaps my words are blunt and offensive, but I am truly upset by the lack of cooperation or the negative influences that sometimes lead to misunderstandings and disagreements. If I am respected, I want to stay with Vietnamese football for the long term because I see great potential here; the Vietnamese people are passionate and enthusiastic about football. That is a good foundation for Vietnamese football to continuously train talented players and develop strongly. But after this tournament, I will resign because I can no longer tolerate the way Vietnamese football managers operate. They are stagnant and always think they are number one, and it's very unpleasant to hear honest feedback. So I have to find a way out."

The story of Mr. Weigang left fans with a lingering sense of unease about the behavior of VFF officials at the time. As a newspaper witnessing the injustices, the lack of cooperation from the VFF due to Mr. Weigang's harsh words, and the disrespect shown by football administrators at the time towards the German coach, we spoke out to demand fairness.

The tragic incident involving Mr. Weigang should serve as a major lesson for those in charge, so as not to repeat the same mistake when inviting foreign coaches to lead the national team.

The series of articles at that time helped the public to properly understand his dedication, as a great teacher and friend of Vietnamese football. What Weigang has done for Vietnamese football will never fade and deserves the utmost respect.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cong-bang-cho-ong-weigang-185251228183044058.htm