The harsh realities of the V-League

Returning to coach in the V-League 2025-2026, coach Tran Tien Dai suffered a defeat in his very first match with PVF-CAND Club in round 16. "Firefighter specialist" - coach Vu Tien Thanh also only managed to earn 1 point in 2 matches leading the star-studded Ninh Binh Club.

Coach Tran Tien Dai was disappointed after PVF-CAND's defeat - Photo: NK

Previously, in the V-League 2025-2026 season, 9 coaches lost their jobs after only 13 matches in the first half of the season, including 4 foreign coaches.

Tasked with "rescuing" PVF-CAND from relegation, coach Tran Tien Dai faced a tough challenge in his first match, being without his best striker, Nguyen Thanh Nhan, due to suspension. Newly joined foreign striker Eid Mahmoud had not yet fully integrated into the team's playing style. "We've only had two training sessions together, and playing away from home, we encountered some difficulties," Dai shared after the match.

PVF-CAND was promoted to the V-League 2025-2026 just days before the opening day, after Quang Nam FC withdrew from the league. Therefore, the team was caught off guard in terms of both personnel and preparation. After 11 rounds with only 1 win, 5 draws, and 5 losses, PVF-CAND replaced coach Thach Bao Khanh with coach Nguyen Thanh Cong. However, after only 4 matches, Mr. Cong also had to leave his position.

Having played a key role in leading Hanoi Police FC to victory in their first V-League season after promotion, coach Tran Tien Dai was invited to join PVF-CAND with the hope of bringing about change. However, the recent defeat against Ho Chi Minh City Police FC has shown him, to some extent, the harsh realities of the V-League.

Like PVF-CAND, Nam Dinh FC, the two-time consecutive V-League champion, also changed coaches twice. After parting ways with coach Vu Hong Viet following a series of unsuccessful matches and replacing him with coach Mauro Jeronimo, the team from Nam Dinh returned to... the same coach Vu Hong Viet just three months later.

Returning to coach Nam Dinh from round 14, coach Vu Hong Viet led the club to three consecutive wins, jumping to their current 7th position. However, their chances of competing for the championship are gone, as they are currently 17 points behind Hanoi Police FC (CAHN) and have played one more game than their rivals.

After consistently leading the league with an 11-match unbeaten streak (8 wins and 3 draws), Ninh Binh FC suffered three consecutive defeats following a nearly three-month break for the Vietnam U23 team's participation in the SEA Games 33 and the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. This result forced coach Gerard Albadalejo (Spain) to leave, making way for coach Vu Tien Thanh, who was seconded from Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC.

However, Coach Thanh did not achieve the desired results in either of the two home matches. In his first match, Ninh Binh FC drew 1-1 with bottom-placed SHB Da Nang. In the second match, Ninh Binh lost 1-2 to CAHN. With a 10-point gap behind CAHN, Ninh Binh FC is falling further behind in the championship race.

Hanoi FC also parted ways with coach Makoto Teguramori (Japan) after three winless matches (two losses, one draw) in the V-League and were eliminated in the qualifying round of the National Cup. Appointing coach Hary Kewell (Australia) to lead the team from round 7 onwards, this change has propelled Hanoi FC to fourth place with 27 points after 16 matches.

Becamex Ho Chi Minh City FC parted ways with coach Nguyen Anh Duc after 4 rounds, appointing Dang Tran Chinh as interim coach, and now coach Ueno Nobuhiro (Japan). However, the team is still languishing in 10th place with 18 points. Coach changes are also occurring at Thanh Hoa and Song Lam Nghe An clubs.

The V-League 2025-2026 still has 10 rounds left, and the pressure on coaches remains immense. The number of 9 coaches who have lost their jobs seems likely to continue rising.

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NGUYEN KHOI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/su-khac-nghiet-cua-v-league-20260317074104247.htm