The cruel profession of coaching
A year ago at the V.League Awards 2023/24, coach Bui Doan Quang Huy of Binh Dinh Club was filled with regret. Despite helping the representative of the martial arts land to excellently win the runner-up position, despite the financial difficulties the team had to go through, Mr. Huy was still not chosen as the best coach of the season.

Exactly one year later, Coach Huy and Binh Dinh were relegated. The strategist famous for his ability to persuade and reassure his students could not find a “healing medicine” for himself. Now, Mr. Huy does not know what his fate will be at the martial arts team. Meanwhile, the wave of pillars and veteran players leaving the club grows larger every day. The risk of Binh Dinh once again disappearing from the map of Vietnamese football is right before our eyes.
Mr. Huy may have been shocked by the sudden change in just one season. But his colleagues experienced the same thing in an even shorter period of time. Nguyen Duc Thang, former head coach of Binh Dinh Club, helped The Cong Viettel win the first leg of V.League 2024/25. But after a period of poor performance, the former Vietnamese player had to stop his journey with the military team. Mr. Thang did not share anything about the sudden farewell. However, from an objective perspective, experts all believe that this was a hasty farewell from The Cong Viettel.
Indeed, the person who took over the position of coach Nguyen Duc Thang at the army team, Velizar Popov, also did not create a more positive revolution. After a perfect start with a 6-0 victory over Da Nang, the Bulgarian strategist and The Cong Viettel experienced quite bad results. In the end, The Cong Viettel only finished 4th overall in the V.League. In the National Cup, coach Popov and The Cong Viettel lost to the Hanoi Police Club right from the semi-finals.
The expectation of Coach Popov's cool hand in the cup arena comes from the bankrupt Viettel The Cong. The strategist from Europe spent 7 months of 2025 full of misery. Paradoxically, at the end of 2024, Mr. Popov and Thanh Hoa still dominated the top of the V.League table through many rounds. The cruelty of coaches comes from that. They can be at the peak of today. But tomorrow, they are also likely to be at the bottom of the abyss...
Invincible, then what?
Coach Nguyen Viet Thang also experienced a season of mixed emotions. Initially, he was assigned to lead the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Team. For some reason, after only 1-2 weeks, this strategist had to go back to the North, when Ninh Binh and the Southern youth team exchanged players and members of the coaching staff.
Mr. Thang left his family in Ho Chi Minh City to start leading the ancient capital club in the First Division. With a force far superior to the tournament level, Mr. Thang easily helped the home team win the championship and set an unbeaten record for the entire season. In which, Ninh Binh won 19 matches and only drew once. But that draw also left a "scratch" on Coach Thang.
In the end, this coach had to say goodbye to Ninh Binh, just a short time after winning the ticket to the V.League 2025/26 with his team. There is one detail that needs to be mentioned. In fact, coach Nguyen Viet Thang had planned to strengthen the personnel for Ninh Binh, after helping the team to be promoted to the V.League early. However, the decision of the club's Board of Directors was to stop cooperating with Mr. Thang. The former Vietnamese player had to leave unfinished his ambition to develop his team, and conquer the challenge of the V.League with Ninh Binh next season.
Cristiano Roland, the coach who almost took Vietnam U17 to the World Cup youth tournament, experienced sadness in Da Nang. He was expected to help Da Thanh FC escape from danger after a terrible start to the season, but unexpectedly, Mr. Roland made his team sink deeper to the bottom of the rankings. Unable to find a single victory, the Brazilian coach left Da Nang right during the Lunar New Year period.
However, in the midst of the crisis with sudden shocks from the coaches in the 2024/25 season, bright spots about turning points in the coaching world are still present. Le Duc Tuan, the coach who was heavily criticized at Hanoi FC, became the hero who helped Da Nang stay in the V.League. Vu Hong Viet, the strategist who is often underestimated and always under pressure to be fired by extremist fans, helped Nam Dinh win the championship for the second consecutive season.
Well, no one can say anything good about being a professional football coach in Vietnam. They can be a hero of the club throughout the journey. But when the team encounters problems, the leaders think about "changing the coach, changing the fortunes".
Overcoming pressure
Mano Polking, one of five foreign coaches working in V.League 2024/25, has successfully held the position at Hanoi Police Club. It should be remembered that before Mr. Polking stayed for more than 1 season with the representative of the Public Security sector, a series of coaches such as Foiani, Kiatisak, Gong Oh Kyun... could not last more than 5 months working at this club.
Mr. Polking helped the Hanoi Police Club win 3 medals in the 2024/25 season. That is the National Cup championship, the Southeast Asian runner-up position and the 3rd place in the V.League. In fact, at some points, Mr. Polking was rumored to have to leave the club. However, in the end, the coach who helped Thailand win the AFF Cup 2021 and 2022 was still able to stay on as a representative of the Public Security sector. That is a testament to his perseverance, courage and class.
Source: https://cand.com.vn/so-tay-the-thao/huan-luyen-vien-truong-nghe-dau-tim-ov-league-i773683/
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