Rumors are swirling about the new head coach candidate for the Vietnamese national team: Who is Kim Sang-sik?

Information regarding the candidate who submitted an application to become the head coach of the Vietnamese national team has been widely discussed this morning (March 30). Kim Sang-sik, a South Korean national, is one of the names mentioned. However, this information has not yet been verified.

Kim Sang-sik, born in 1976, is a former South Korean national team player. During his playing career, he played as a center-back and defensive midfielder, spending most of his time playing for two top clubs in South Korea: Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

Coach Kim Sang-sik

Kim Sang-sik's playing record includes all the collective titles in South Korean football. He won the K League 1 championship with both Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

Kim Sang-sik participated in the 2006 World Cup while representing South Korea. However, the former defender was never a key player in the national team. In his only World Cup appearance, Kim Sang-sik only played for about 20 minutes before being brought on as a substitute.

After retiring from playing in 2013, Kim Sang-sik transitioned to coaching as an assistant coach at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. Eight years later, the South Korean club appointed the former national team player as head coach. This was his first and only coaching role in his career.

According to Transfermarkt data, coach Kim Sang-sik led Jeonbuk Hyundai in 108 matches, averaging 1.94 points per game.

He started his coaching career impressively with a K League 1 championship in 2021 and a Korean FA Cup title in 2022 (finishing second in K League 1 that same year). However, in the 2023 season, Jeonbuk's performance declined significantly.

After the first 10 rounds, coach Kim Sang-sik's team lost 6 matches and fell far behind the league leaders. The coach, born in 1976, wrote a handwritten letter to the club and fans apologizing and resigning. He has not coached any team since then.

Minh Anh

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/ro-tin-don-ung-vien-hlv-moi-cua-tuyen-viet-nam-kim-sang-sik-la-ai-ar858703.html