'Happy New Year!'

Celebrating Tet (Vietnamese New Year) with family in a new place, taking wife and children to Nha Trang.

The New Year's Eve countdown has arrived, and the Year of the Snake (2015) has come – a year promising new opportunities and challenges. This is also a time for us to build faith together and strive for new heights. The past Year of the Dragon (2014) was a year full of ups and downs, with various emotional moments for Vietnamese football, and especially the AFF Cup 2024 championship, a significant achievement left by Coach Kim Sang-sik after only a short time with the club. Instead of returning to Korea, he decided to celebrate Tet (Vietnamese New Year) with his family in Vietnam, enjoying the rich and traditional Vietnamese atmosphere.

These days, Coach Kim's house at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center (located within the Vietnam Football Federation - VFF) is more lively and cozy than ever with peach blossoms, banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cake), and many other traditional dishes.

The Year of the Snake: A Conversation with 'Poisonous Snake' Kim Sang-sik: A Manchester United fan, a Zidane admirer, and a pho lover.

"This is my first time celebrating Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) in Vietnam, and the atmosphere is truly heartwarming. In Korea, people usually wear hanbok, exchange New Year greetings with family, and go traveling . But in Vietnam, the preparations are more thorough, with cherry blossoms, house decorations, and traditional dishes," he shared.

Coach Kim tasted banh chung (Vietnamese sticky rice cake) for the first time and consulted with his compatriot, Coach Park Hang-seo, to celebrate Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) in the most intimate way possible with the players. He also prepared lucky money envelopes to give to the players and planned to take his family to Nha Trang, one of Vietnam's many beautiful tourist destinations, to enjoy this meaningful holiday. He said he would introduce his family to other Vietnamese dishes besides pho and bun cha – two dishes he has been eating repeatedly for months without getting tired of them.

"I plan to take my family to Nha Trang, one of Vietnam's many beautiful tourist destinations, to enjoy this meaningful vacation. I also want to introduce my family to other Vietnamese dishes; Vietnamese food is delicious," Mr. Kim said.

Coach Kim Sang-sik wears a conical hat to decorate a peach blossom tree.

Coach Kim tries Vietnamese sticky rice cake (Banh Chung).

This year is the Year of the Snake, and coincidentally, in South Korea, coach Kim Sang-sik is known by the nickname "toksa," meaning "poisonous snake." For Southeast Asian football, Kim is truly a fearsome "poisonous snake." However, for Vietnamese football, his arrival has brought "sweet success" in the AFF Cup.

Coach Kim Sang-sik was born on December 17, 1976, in Jeonnam, South Korea. As a young man, he played for Daegu University from 1995 to 1998. His professional playing career began in 1999, at the age of 23, as a central defender for Seongnam FC (formerly Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma). He has represented the South Korean national team in numerous tournaments, most notably finishing third at the 2007 Asian Cup.

7 months living in Vietnam and some special impressions.

After more than half a year working in Vietnam, Coach Kim expressed his satisfaction with the environment, weather, and cuisine , especially dishes like pho and bun cha. He even revealed that he ate pho every day for the first one or two months and still didn't get tired of it. "I am very happy living in Vietnam. The most impressive thing is the intense love for football of the people, from young children to the elderly, who always cheer and support the national team unconditionally," he said.

Coach Kim Sang-sik is a huge fan of Vietnamese pho and bun cha.

Having only been with the team for just over six months, coach Kim Sang-sik has led the Vietnamese national team to the AFF Cup championship.

When asked about the Vietnamese people's love for football, Coach Kim affirmed that he had never seen fans so passionate and enthusiastic. "Vietnamese fans are even more boisterous than in many European countries or South Korea. Moments like Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh celebrating with the team make me very happy," he said.

Coach Kim did not forget to thank the VFF for their dedicated support in logistics and organization, which allowed him and the team to fully focus on their task on the field.

Coach Kim Sang-sik is strict on the field but has a good sense of humor off the field.

Winning the 2024 AFF Cup is expected to give a strong boost to Vietnamese football.

Coach Kim describes himself with three words: "tiger," "transformative," and "confident." In his work, he always displays strictness and discipline, helping players maintain maximum focus. However, off the field, he wants to be a big brother to the players, creating a friendly and humorous atmosphere to help them feel more comfortable and confident during matches.

"I want the team to be like a family, closely bonded. Sometimes I see some players a little afraid of me, but I always try to bridge the gap with them. In the team, I often joke around and tell the funniest stories with Tien Linh," he added.

Happy New Year! May you have great fortune!

At 49, a relatively young age for a professional coach, Kim Sang-sik has already achieved much success at both club and national team levels. His goals are to lead the Vietnam U23 team to victory at the 2025 SEA Games and to guide the Vietnamese national team to the 2027 Asian Cup finals.

Coach Kim Sang-sik speaks with a reporter from Thanh Nien Newspaper.

On the occasion of the Lunar New Year, through Thanh Nien Newspaper, he sent New Year greetings to his fans: "Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a happy, peaceful, and prosperous new year!"

Coach Kim Sang-sik's expression while wishing everyone a prosperous New Year.

And "a prosperous new year" is also the sincere wish of fans for Coach Kim Sang Sik and Vietnamese football in the Year of the Snake. After winning the AFF Cup 2024, fans expect the team to continue maintaining its form and conquer even more new heights on the international stage. With the dedication and strictness of Coach Kim, the talent and enthusiasm of the players, and the warm support from the fans, Vietnamese football promises to enter an even more brilliant period of development this year.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-kim-sang-sik-chuc-tet-nguoi-ham-mo-viet-nam-nam-moi-dai-hong-phat-185250128144633666.htm