Dedicate your efforts to the common good of Ho Chi Minh City football.

Coach Phùng Thanh Phương is helping the "Red Battleship" of Ho Chi Minh City FC smoothly navigate through turbulent times.

Upon receiving a phone call from the leaders of Ho Chi Minh City FC, the former star player of Ho Chi Minh City Police FC didn't hesitate to agree, hoping to contribute a small effort to stabilize the internal affairs of the only representative of Saigon football in the top-tier V-League.

It was for this motivation that Mr. Phuong (along with his two assistants, Nguyen Liem Thanh and Dinh Hong Vinh) accepted the challenge of taking on the role of interim coach, waiting for a foreign coach to arrive.

But then, as the presence of contenders like Mano Polking or the duo of Park Hang-seo and Lee Young-jin gradually faded, Coach Phuong unexpectedly secured a precious victory in the clash against title contender The Cong Viettel , helping the "Red Battleship" return to its proper course.

In fact, coach Phung Thanh Phuong has always considered Ho Chi Minh City FC his home. He was associated with the team from 2014 to 2019, playing a key role in bringing the team from the lower league to the V-League, before moving to Saigon FC at the invitation of his senior teammate Hoang Van Phuc (Phuong was once Phuc's assistant in the Vietnam U23 team).

Nguyen Ha Long (29) scored against Hai Phong Club in round 5

Professionally, Mr. Phuong is dedicated and meticulous. His gentle nature, ability to harmonize, and listening skills earn him the respect of the team, which includes many former students from both Ho Chi Minh City and Saigon clubs. He resolutely urged the club's management to quickly resolve the issue of signing bonuses at the start of the season to quell the "internal conflict" following Coach Vu Tien Thanh's departure.

Thanks to this, the "Red Battleship" quickly regained control, creating a surprise by winning against title contender The Cong Viettel 2-0 and having a disappointing 1-1 draw against Hai Phong Club (who had defeated defending champion CAHN 3-1 in the previous round).

Securing four valuable points has temporarily given Ho Chi Minh City FC eight points and placed them sixth in the standings after Round 5 of the V-League 2023-2024. This was unexpected, given the club's financial difficulties at the start of the season and the controversial departure of coach Vu Tien Thanh.

Ho Chi Minh City FC is looking to take advantage of the favorable fixture schedule to accumulate points.

Ho Chi Minh City FC's next match will be an away game against Thanh Hoa on December 16th, followed by two home games against manageable opponents: SLNA FC (December 22nd) and Hong Linh Ha Tinh FC (December 26th). Ho Chi Minh City FC's goal is to try to earn at least 4-6 points in these three matches, so they can confidently enter the break when the V-League makes way for the Vietnamese national team's preparation for the Asian Cup.

Coach Phùng Thanh Phương said that right now he is focusing entirely on working with his players and not overthinking things: "I accepted the offer to return to Ho Chi Minh City FC to take charge for a few days, and then when the foreign coach arrives, I will support them as an assistant. My mindset is very clear and I am ready for that."

I didn't expect that even now I still haven't "escaped" my interim role at Ho Chi Minh City FC. But that doesn't matter; no matter what position I'm in, I will dedicate myself to the common good. I will try to prepare everything well so that the new coach will have the most favorable conditions to get started."

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