This Lunar New Year, my wife is the happiest.

VTC News•11/02/2024

On February 4th, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) held a ceremony to pay tribute to coach Mai Duc Chung. The 73-year-old coach officially retired from his glorious football career. The Year of the Dragon 2024 marks the first time Coach Chung has had a complete Lunar New Year celebration with his family after many years of dedication to football.

"My wife is the happiest."

" The person who most wants me to be home for Tet is my wife. Like everyone else, I only buy just enough for Tet. For me, the best part of Tet is the spirit. When she knows I'm staying home, my wife always smiles. Material things aren't that important; for her, the greatest happiness is having her husband at home to fully enjoy Tet ," Coach Mai Duc Chung said with a happy smile.

Coach Mai Duc Chung and Ms. Pham Thi Ngoc Uyen.

On the chilly winter days in Hanoi , the owner of the famous chicken pho restaurant on Phu Doan Street is no stranger to seeing Mr. Mai Duc Chung bringing a lunchbox to buy pho for his wife. He travels on his personal motorbike, dressed simply, and always has a smile on his face. This year, Mr. Chung didn't have to travel far.

The Lunar New Year of 2024 (Year of the Dragon) was the most special in over 20 years for Coach Mai Duc Chung. For those working in football coaching, they don't have much time to spend with their families during holidays due to the nature of their work. Sometimes, coaches only get less than 5 days off before having to leave home again.

" I have to say that this year's Tet holiday was the first time I've truly been home with my family. I had a joyful and warm Tet celebration, and I didn't have to worry about anything. For many years, I was always worried about training plans and the entire season's schedule. I had to prepare training plans and many other things. My mind is very relaxed; this year I finally got to rest and reunite with my family."

"It's been a really long time since I've had a Lunar New Year like this year. There were times I got to celebrate Tet at home, but I only got a few days off, it was very short. That's in the past now. This year I can rest easy ," Coach Mai Duc Chung said excitedly.

Mrs. Pham Thi Ngoc Uyen, wife of coach Mai Duc Chung, still shops simply at Ngoc Ha market. She buys vegetables, meat, and other necessities to ensure her husband, children, and grandchildren have a complete and fulfilling Tet holiday. It's been a long time since Mr. Chung has been home for such an extended period during the Lunar New Year. Perhaps, after many years of not having a truly satisfying Tet celebration, Mrs. Uyen is truly the happiest person, as her husband says.

Coach Mai Duc Chung smiled and said, " When my wife knew I was staying home for Tet, she was always smiling. Material things aren't that important to her; the greatest happiness for her is seeing her husband at home enjoying a complete Tet holiday ."

Saying goodbye is the hardest thing.

October 31st was a special milestone for coach Mai Duc Chung and many of his players. It was his final training session with the Vietnamese national team. Huynh Nhu and her teammates faced the Japanese national team – a formidable opponent that Vietnamese women's football will find difficult to overcome in the near future.

Coach Mai Duc Chung bids farewell to Vietnamese women's football.

Recalling the training session, Trần Thị Duyên said: " It was a very emotional session. The coaches encouraged us to work harder and try our best so we could show our gratitude to Coach Mai Đức Chung with an impressive match. However, Coach Chung didn't say much about parting ways or a farewell. He just wanted us to focus on training ."

Coach Mai Duc Chung doesn't use overly sweet words with the female players. He cares warmly like a father, but is also very strict. Everything in the Vietnamese women's national team is structured.

" I think saying goodbye to the players is the hardest thing. We've worked together for a long time. In the meeting before the last training session, I only said a few things so that you would understand that there are still matches to come. But deep down, I cherish everyone's affection ," said coach Mai Duc Chung.

Every relationship eventually comes to an end. Coach Mai Duc Chung confided that he often lies down and thinks about how his work has unfolded over the years. He feels fulfilled having led the Vietnamese women's national team to qualify for the 2023 World Cup.

Vietnamese football still faces concerns that trouble coach Mai Duc Chung: " I also think about the unfinished business. Women's football is actually not very developed and still faces many disadvantages. I'm not comparing it to men's football, but to many other Southeast Asian countries. We need to find a way to get more attention for women's football."

Mai Phuong

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