Coach Velizar Popov leads The Cong - Viettel Club.

The Thể Công - Viettel club has unveiled its new head coach, Velizar Popov, with the goal of conquering the National Cup and the V-League 2024-2025 championship.

Coach Velizar Popov (left) and Colonel Do Manh Dung - Director of Viettel Sports Company after signing the contract - Photo: TCVT FC

On the morning of April 27th, The Cong - Viettel Club officially signed a contract and welcomed their new head coach, Velizar Popov, replacing coach Nguyen Duc Thang.

After winning the first half of the 2024-2025 V-League season, The Cong - Viettel FC did not perform as expected or achieve their goals. The military team only managed to secure 8 points in 7 matches, dropping to third place with 33 points after 20 games, 6 points behind league leaders Nam Dinh.

In the 2024-2025 National Cup, The Cong - Viettel Club has reached the semi-finals, but the road to the championship still faces many challenges as they encounter strong opponent Hanoi Police.

Therefore, the leadership of The Cong - Viettel Club decided to choose coach Velizar Popov on a contract extending until the end of the 2026-2027 season. This Bulgarian coach has extensive experience and has left his mark on domestic football leagues in recent years.

Speaking at the contract signing ceremony, new head coach Velizar Popov shared: "The Cong - Viettel is one of the most traditional football clubs in Southeast Asia and Vietnam. This is an opportunity for me to take a new step in my career. Working for such a team, I always have the right to dream of the highest goals, which is to win every tournament."

Coach Velizar Popov chatting with the leaders of The Cong - Viettel FC - Photo: TCVT FC

"I like attacking football and pressing. Of course, at this stage with only six rounds left, making drastic changes isn't easy, but I will help the players give their all on the field and the fans will be proud of the team's style of play," Popov added.

In his first match as head coach, Velizar Popov will lead The Cong - Viettel FC against bottom-placed SHB Da Nang at Hang Day Stadium in Round 21 of the V-League 2024-2025 on May 2nd.

Alongside the addition of a new, high-quality coach to compete for the championship, The Cong - Viettel Club is also strengthening its youth training program to ensure long-term goals. Accordingly, Coach Nguyen Duc Thang will take on the position of Technical Director in charge of youth training.

Coach Nguyen Duc Thang was once an athlete who rose through the ranks of the military team's training academy and is also an experienced coach in youth development. In his new role as Technical Director, Nguyen Duc Thang is expected to leverage his experience and dedication to build a successor generation for The Cong - Viettel.

Foreign coaches have been successful in Vietnam.

Coach Velizar Popov, born in 1976, previously led the Myanmar U23 team to a bronze medal at the 30th SEA Games in the Philippines in 2019.

Upon arriving in Vietnam, coach Velizar Popov led Thanh Hoa FC to win the National Cup for two consecutive years (2023 and 2023-2024), along with the National Super Cup in 2023.

He recently parted ways with Thanh Hoa FC after their 0-1 defeat to Hai Phong in the round of 16 of the 2024-2025 National Cup.

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NGUYEN KHOI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hlv-velizar-popov-dan-dat-clb-the-cong-viettel-20250427125448264.htm