Harry Kewell and Hanoi FC: "Changing generals to change fortunes" or long-term plans for the future

On October 9, Hanoi Football Club officially introduced its new coach, Mr. Harry Kewell, marking an important turning point in the long-term development strategy of the capital team. At the same time, a world football icon like Harry Kewell coming to lead a V.League club will create more attraction for Vietnam's highest tournament.

Hanoi FC's faith in Harry Kewell

In the 2000s, Harry Kewell was a familiar face in the Premier League, symbolizing a generation of talented and disciplined players in Australian football. Harry Kewell once reached the semi-finals of the Champions League 2000/2001 with Leeds United. And of course, many football fans still cannot forget the "magical night of Istanbul" when Harry Kewell and Liverpool had a spectacular victory in the final of the Champions League 2004/2005 season.

Hanoi FC's board of directors has placed their trust in coach Harry Kewell for the team's long-term plans.

After retiring, Harry Kewell embarked on a coaching career in England, which requires strict expertise, processes and football management thinking. He has led clubs such as Crawley Town, Oldham Athletic, Barnet and Watford... The Australian strategist is highly regarded for his ability to inspire, develop young players and build a team culture based on professionalism.

Harry Kewell also served as assistant to coach Ange Postecoglou at Celtic (Scotland) in 2022, before taking over as head coach of Yokohama F. Marinos in early 2024 and helping the Japanese team win the 2023/2024 AFC Champions League runner-up.

Coming to the Hang Day Stadium team, Harry Kewell brings not only his reputation, but also his experience from a harsh football environment like the Premier League, along with a coaching philosophy forged at European and Japanese clubs, something that Vietnamese football needs to transform.

More importantly, a world football icon like Harry Kewell coming to work in Vietnam is not only a coaching contract, but also reflects the efforts to rise and integrate deeper into the Hanoi FC in particular and Vietnamese football in general with the regional and continental playgrounds.

Harry Kewell said he considered carefully before accepting to lead Hanoi FC. The purple team has long been a name in Vietnamese football. Since its inception in 2006, Hanoi FC has won 6 V.League championships, 2 National Cups, 5 National Super Cups and is the team that has contributed the most national players for many consecutive years. Once "almost unrivaled" in the domestic arena, but recently, Hanoi FC has not had good results. In that context, the appointment of coach Harry Kewell is a step that shows the great desire and determination to change of the capital team.

Just arriving in Hanoi, Harry Kewell has started working with the new team.

A boost for V.league and Vietnamese football

Under the leadership of Coach Harry Kewell, the Board of Directors of Hanoi FC does not hide their hope to build a modern, fast, proactive football style imbued with European influences but still retaining the technical and skillful soul of Vietnamese players. As someone who has played at the top level in Europe, Harry Kewell certainly understands that success in football does not come from a single star but from a cohesive, confident and disciplined team. That is probably what Hanoi FC needs at this time, a captain who is not only technically competent but also a spiritual leader who can "inspire" the players.

Another special thing is that Hanoi FC also revealed the long-term plan of this team with coach Harry Kewell. In addition to the position of head coach, Mr. Harry Kewell also has a certain role in youth training, building the next generation of players.

“Hanoi FC is entering a new phase – a phase of modern thinking, discipline and professionalism. The appointment of Mr. Harry Kewell (as head coach) is part of a long-term strategy for the club to transform to international standards. We do not focus on short-term achievements, but focus on building a sustainable foundation, helping Hanoi FC to compete fairly at the regional and continental levels in the future,” said Hanoi FC Chairman Do Quang Vinh at the ceremony to announce the new head coach.

Coach Harry Kewell at the launching ceremony at Hanoi FC.

Mr. Do Quang Vinh also expressed his impression of the Australian strategist's preparation and dedication when he said that before coming to Vietnam, Mr. Kewell spent time watching and analyzing all the matches of Hanoi FC in the last season. According to Mr. Vinh, Coach Harry Kewell has a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses, and has given specific development directions for Hanoi FC.

“He (Harry Kewell) came to us with professionalism, planning and belief in the future,” said Mr. Vinh. Obviously, with Harry Kewell, Hanoi FC has a long-term plan not only to return to being a force in the domestic arena but also to reach regional and continental levels.

Currently, Vietnamese football has made a strong mark at the national team level in the past 10 years, but at the club level, international integration is still a big challenge. Most domestic teams still operate in a traditional way, lacking depth in training science , data and human resource management. This is not a new problem and currently many clubs in the V.league have been using foreign strategists as a way to approach modern playing style and how to operate a scientific team according to international standards.

The presence of a coach who has played and coached in Europe in the V.league can motivate Vietnamese players to change their training mindset, playing style and their desire to reach the international level. For Vietnamese football, this is also considered a good way for modern football coaching and management skills to spread more deeply to the teams.

In addition, a legend like Harry Kewell choosing Vietnam as the destination for his coaching career is also proof that football in the S-shaped country has enough potential and is attractive enough to attract big names in the world.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/the-thao/harry-kewell-va-ha-noi-fc-thay-tuong-de-doi-van-hay-ke-hoach-dai-han-cho-tuong-lai-i784115/