Nguyen Viet Thang and two V-League tickets.

(NLĐO) - Nguyen Viet Thang has become the first coach in Vietnamese football history to lead two different teams to promotion to the V-League in two consecutive seasons.

The capabilities of a military leader

Coach Nguyen Viet Thang has transformed ambitious teams into champions. Both Ninh Binh FC (2024-2025 season) and Truong Tuoi Dong Nai FC (2025-2026 season) entered the First Division with the clear objective of gaining promotion to the V-League.

They possess superior financial resources, a well-invested workforce, and owners willing to spend money on their ambitions.

Coach Nguyen Viet Thang has transformed ambitious teams into champions.

Therefore, it would not be entirely fair to separate Coach Nguyen Viet Thang's achievements from those favorable conditions. But conversely, it is also impossible to simply conclude that having money automatically guarantees championships.

Vietnamese football has witnessed many teams that invested heavily but failed. There are teams that possess many stars but have not been able to create a distinct playing style.

There are clubs that constantly change managers yet still fail to achieve their goals. Resources only create opportunities. Turning opportunities into results is another story.

For two consecutive seasons, Coach Nguyen Viet Thang has achieved this, and this feat is by no means easy. What is most noteworthy about Coach Nguyen Viet Thang is his ability to achieve goals under immense pressure.

In teams aiming for promotion, second place is sometimes considered a failure. The coach not only manages the team's performance but also the expectations of the management, players, and fans.

Ninh Binh won the First Division championship in 2024-2025. A year later, Truong Tuoi Dong Nai continued their winning streak, clinching the title one round before the end of the season. Therefore, bringing two different teams from the First Division to the V-League in two consecutive seasons can no longer be explained by mere luck.

A coach might get lucky in one season. But when success is repeated at a different team, with different players and different circumstances, the coach's ability is clearly undeniable.

Nguyen Viet Thang did not create any groundbreaking tactical revolutions. Nor did he cultivate the image of a coach who liked to appear in the media.

His strengths lie in his realistic vision, his ability to understand himself and his opponents, and his capacity to keep the entire team on track throughout a season.

Luong Xuan Truong

Each championship has individual value

Coach Nguyen Viet Thang himself admitted that each championship title holds a different meaning. If the title with Ninh Binh was a joy and a happy milestone in his coaching career, then the championship with Truong Tuoi Dong Nai brought different emotions.

Coach Nguyen Viet Thang led Truong Tuoi Dong Nai to victory in the 2025-2026 First Division league one round before the end of the season.

This season's First Division is more competitive. Many teams are investing heavily. The arrival of foreign players has made the race even more intense. Despite this, Truong Tuoi Dong Nai has maintained its consistency to finish the season one round early.

More importantly, this team has built a working environment that Nguyen Viet Thang himself considers "excellent". The coaching staff receives trust from the leadership, is empowered to handle professional matters, and does not have to live under the pressure of constant change.

Having the full trust of the leadership is a huge advantage. Many ambitious teams are willing to invest money, but not every team invests and operates like Truong Tuoi Dong Nai Club.

Two consecutive promotions have helped coach Nguyen Viet Thang make a special mark in his career.

But the paradox of football is that yesterday's success doesn't guarantee tomorrow. The V-League is a completely different environment. The gap between securing promotion and competing with the top teams is always very large.

Coach Nguyen Viet Thang himself recognizes this difficulty, admitting that the best quality domestic players are currently concentrated in the group of clubs with the highest potential and quality of players in Vietnam, including Hanoi Police, The Cong Viettel , Ninh Binh, Hanoi, Nam Dinh, and, of course, Ho Chi Minh City Police Club, a highly ambitious team that will invest heavily in its squad next season.

Tran Minh Vuong

This situation makes it very difficult for newly promoted teams to upgrade their squads using domestic players. Therefore, Truong Tuoi Dong Nai will have to find a solution by relying on foreign players and the very team spirit that helped them win the championship. This will be the biggest challenge for Nguyen Viet Thang's team.

Nguyen Viet Thang may be fortunate to work for ambitious and heavily invested clubs. He himself acknowledges this. But football has never been a simple calculation of money and success. If money determined everything, there wouldn't be failed seasons for wealthy teams.

Nguyen Cong Phuong

Leading two different clubs from the First Division to the V-League in two consecutive seasons is not yet a guarantee that Nguyen Viet Thang has become a great coach.

But that certainly proves he knows how to turn belief into results, ambition into championships, and investments into real value on the pitch. And this is the greatest value in the two V-League tickets that Coach Nguyen Viet Thang won in two consecutive seasons.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nguyen-viet-thang-va-hai-tam-ve-v-league-196260601013028764.htm