Cong Phuong's coach, Nhat Minh, receives a special 'gift'.

Coach Guillaume Graechen, who mentored Cong Phuong, Van Toan, Ly Duc, Nhat Minh, and others from their early days, has just been honored by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).

For nearly 20 years, Coach Guillaume Graechen has been involved in youth football training in Vietnam, both coaching and discovering and nurturing many young talents for Vietnamese football. A series of Vietnamese football stars such as Cong Phuong , Tuan Anh, Xuan Truong, Ly Duc, Nhat Minh, Quoc Viet... have all been influenced and molded by the French coach.

Coach Guillaume Graechen receives the Commemorative Medal for his contributions to Vietnamese football from the VFF leadership.

For these enduring contributions, on the occasion of the Nutifood 2026 Children's Football Festival in Ho Chi Minh City, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) awarded Coach Guillaume Graechen the Commemorative Medal for the Cause of Vietnamese Football. “Although a French national, Coach Guillaume Graechen has worked in Vietnam for two decades, contributing to the training of many generations of quality players and laying the foundation for modern coaching methods suitable for the long-term development of youth football. His contributions are incredibly enduring, profound, and worthy of honor,” a VFF representative emphasized.

Cong Phuong congratulated the coach who guided him when he first started his football career.

Meanwhile, following the selection process in Hanoi , thousands of young players continued their experience and participated in the Nutifood Football Academy selection process over two days, May 16th and 17th, in Ho Chi Minh City. Based on the assessment results, Coach Guillaume Graechen and his team selected the most outstanding candidates to advance to the knockout round held in Gia Lai.

Young players participate in the selection process.

Once officially enrolled at the Nutifood Football Academy, young players receive full scholarships for training in a professional coaching environment, combined with a structured nutrition program to become future football stars.

Vietnam U17 bids farewell to the 2026 AFC U17 Championship: A step back. Stopping at the quarterfinals of the AFC U17 Championship doesn't diminish the value of Vietnam U17's journey; on the contrary, it provides valuable lessons and points the way towards more ambitious goals in the future.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/thay-cua-cong-phuong-nhat-minh-nhan-qua-dac-biet-2513274.html