Coach Kim Sang Sik: "I'm afraid of discrediting Coach Park Hang Seo in Vietnam"

(Dan Tri) - Sharing with Sport Seoul (Korea), Coach Kim Sang Sik shared about his time working in Vietnam as well as his goals for the coming time.

Sport Seoul newspaper opened its article about coach Kim Sang Sik: “Once nicknamed “Siksa-ma” (crazy eater) by Korean fans, Kim Sang Sik is now affectionately called “Anh” by Vietnamese fans, a word that shows intimacy in Vietnamese.

Coach Kim Sang Sik was afraid of discrediting Coach Park Hang Seo in Vietnam (Photo: Manh Quan).

From a person who struggled with mental crisis, he became a hero of Vietnamese football, it was a journey of recovery like coming out of a movie of the strategist born in 1976.

Reporters from Sport Seoul interviewed Coach Kim Sang Sik in Hanoi . At the beginning, the Korean coach humbly admitted that his biggest concern when working in Vietnam was the fear of being known as Coach Park Hang Seo.

Coach Kim Sang Sik admitted: “Even I didn’t expect the journey in Vietnam to go this far. I just thought that I needed to try not to bring disrepute to Coach Park Hang Seo, but the result was beyond my expectations.”

Just two years ago, Coach Kim Sang Sik was in crisis when he had to resign as head coach of Jeonbuk FC due to poor performance. He was a great contributor to the club as a player, assistant and coach but then was turned away and cursed by the fans.

“It was such a suffocating time that I couldn’t even take the elevator. I lost confidence and even felt afraid to direct the players. I thought I was putting them at a disadvantage,” Coach Kim recalled.

But then a turning point came. Like coach Park Hang Seo before, Vietnam became a “promised land” for Kim Sang Sik. Under his leadership, the Vietnamese team revived strongly, winning two consecutive Southeast Asian championships at the national team and U23 levels, opening a “second golden era”.

Coach Kim Sang Sik confided: “I just want to prove the ability of Korean coaches. Whether I win the championship or not, I want to contribute something to the development of Vietnamese football. At first, the climate and training conditions made it difficult for me to adapt, but now I feel like this place is my second home. The Vietnamese people's personalities are similar to Koreans. They are all sincere and resilient.”

Coach Kim Sang Sik considers Vietnam his second homeland (Photo: Minh Quan).

The secret to Kim Sang-sik’s success in Vietnam lies in his ability to observe and adapt quickly. He carefully studied the two previous periods of the Vietnamese team, the golden age under Park Hang-seo and the decline under his successor, to identify the problem.

“I realized that changing the squad too quickly was the reason why the Vietnamese team was unbalanced. I chose players based on their performance and actual ability, not looking at their age. When they are respected and trusted, they play more focused, and the team spirit also returns,” coach Kim Sang Sik admitted.

He also quickly noticed weaknesses in the training habits of Vietnamese players. He added: “I saw that Vietnamese players often lay on the field for a long time even though they only had minor collisions. When statistics were compiled, the actual time the ball rolled was only about 45 minutes per match. I immediately banned that. My training sessions only lasted 70-90 minutes, but with high intensity and concentration. When I changed that culture, the whole team became healthier and more disciplined.”

Kim Sang-sik’s coaching style is very intuitive. Realizing that many players have difficulty grasping complex tactics, he found a special method: “I use a scarf as a signal. When I turn the scarf, it is a signal to press. If I hold up the tactics board, the team will switch from 5-4-1 to 5-3-2. I always try to speak concisely and easily, so that both the interpreter and the players can understand clearly.”

Like coach Park Hang Seo, Kim Sang Sik also has a reliable Korean coaching staff in the Vietnamese team including goalkeeper coach Lee Woon Jae, fitness coach Yoon Dong Heon and assistant Lee Jung Soo.

Talking about his colleagues, Coach Kim Sang Sik said: “I know that my coaching staff have to be away from their families, so I am always grateful to them. We are like a small family in Vietnam, sharing the responsibility and pride of writing a new page in football history here.”

Coach Kim Sang Sik's friendliness is part of what makes him loved by Vietnamese fans. He once moved people when he sang the Vietnamese national anthem "Tien Quan Ca" in an international match. Coach Kim said about this: "I practiced with an interpreter until I knew it by heart. I understand that in Korea, if foreigners do not try to integrate into our culture, it will be difficult for us to open up to them. Therefore, I want Vietnamese people to feel my sincerity. I am approaching them."

Coach Kim Sang Sik sets big goals at SEA Games 33 with U22 Vietnam (Photo: Manh Quan).

Now, the Korean coach can comfortably walk around Hanoi, visit a coffee shop or even drive himself through crowded streets. “I receive so much love from everyone. When I hear that I have helped unite the fans, I feel so happy. Material things can be lost, but feelings cannot. I want to live and breathe with this country,” he said.

Next December, Coach Kim Sang Sik will join U22 Vietnam in the SEA Games with the goal of winning the championship. The Korean coach talked about this goal: “Of course, pressure to perform is inevitable. But I know that our opponents are progressing quickly thanks to naturalized players. We have to promote our own strengths to compete.

The results are important, but what I want more is to see Vietnamese football develop. Vietnamese football still has a lot to do and I want to contribute to the best of my ability. I hope Vietnamese players will mature and go out into the world .”

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/hlv-kim-sang-sik-toi-so-lam-mang-tieng-hlv-park-hang-seo-o-viet-nam-20251102111634283.htm