Coach Popov prioritizes accepting offers in Vietnam

Coach Velizar Popov. Photo: Bao Ngoc.

"Because my family is here and has gotten used to life here, I prioritized staying in Vietnam when considering accepting the offer to lead the new team," coach Velizar Popov shared with Tri Thuc - Znews .

"It's not true to say I'm waiting for a job. I'm enjoying life more than waiting for a new job. I'm not under any pressure at the moment. There are two domestic clubs and two foreign teams in contact and I'm thinking about it," he continued.

Mr. Popov will not return to the coaching chair this season to replace an existing coach. He himself has drawn many lessons from his past mid-season jobs in Thailand and Malaysia.

"Everyone will know by May-June. I always want to start my journey at each new club at the beginning of the season, where I can operate my curriculum and philosophy as I wish. It was the same when I came to Thanh Hoa . The club created the best conditions for me to prepare and that is the foundation for the success of the team. If you lead a new team in the middle of the season, you will not be able to do anything," said the Bulgarian strategist.

Mr. Popov was repeatedly upset with the decisions of Vietnamese referees. Photo: Bao Ngoc.

In addition to family reasons, Coach Popov also shared some other factors when considering job offers. With a strong personality and a love of challenges, Popov is not afraid to lead a weak team.

"I am ready to lead any team, strong or weak. What I require from clubs is, first, to have clear goals, second, facilities (the club must have a training ground for players, a place for me to practice playing style), third, financial stability (the club pays salaries and bonuses to players on time and in full). If players are playing football and have to worry about money, I cannot tell them to fight with all their might, because they will not be motivated," said Popov.

If he stays in Vietnam, Coach Popov will again face the painful problem of referees. He is not afraid of weak or error-prone referees, but only afraid of referees who treat clubs unfairly.

"I don't want the referee to be biased towards anyone, whether it's the opponent or the team I lead. I especially don't want the referee to be biased towards my team, because if that happens, how can my students and I prove ourselves? What I want is a fair playing field for everyone," the strategist suggested.

Coach Velizar Popov was born in 1976 in Bulgaria. Before leading Thanh Hoa and opening a new page in history for this team, he helped U23 Myanmar win the bronze medal at the 30th SEA Games in the Philippines in 2019.

Source: https://znews.vn/hlv-popov-uu-tien-nhan-loi-de-nghi-o-viet-nam-post1538768.html