Why did coach Park Hang-seo choose Thai football?

“I chose Thai football because it’s still an unfinished challenge,” the 68-year-old coach shared with the media, emphasizing, “Kanchanaburi FC’s long-term vision and sincerity have rekindled my passion. I want to prove that age is never a barrier to new dreams and challenges.”

The South Korean coach has officially returned after a long hiatus from coaching. His destination this time is a team that has just been relegated to Thailand's Thai League 2.

Kanchanaburi FC officially announced Park Hang-seo as their new head coach on the afternoon of May 25th. The contract between the two parties is for two years, with the main goal being to bring the club back to Thai League 1.

Kanchanaburi FC has just announced the signing of coach Park Hang-seo on a two-year contract, without specifying the salary.

DJ Management, the agency representing him, also confirmed the contract, emphasizing that Coach Park Hang-seo has chosen a difficult path.

"Instead of following the familiar path, Park Hang-seo chose Thailand, a place where not many South Korean coaches have achieved complete success," DJ Management noted.

That's precisely what makes the invitation from Kanchanaburi FC so special. Coach Park Hang-seo admitted he had received many offers, but Thailand was the place that motivated him to try his luck because of the difficulty and novelty of the football environment there.

“I received many offers, but Thailand is a place where no Korean coach has truly achieved complete success,” Park continued. “That motivated me to come here to work. I want to contribute to connecting Korean, Vietnamese, and Southeast Asian football.”

The South Korean coach also affirmed that moving to Thailand does not mean closing the chapter on his affection for Vietnamese football. He wants to continue contributing to Southeast Asian football, including creating opportunities for young Vietnamese and regional players through exchange and football development projects.

Joining Thai football was a significant turning point in Coach Park Hang-seo's career. Since leaving the Vietnamese national teams in early 2023, he has primarily taken on managerial and advisory roles, rarely appearing on the coaching bench.

He currently remains the Vice President of the Korea Football Association (KFA), in charge of national teams, and also has a senior advisory contract with Bac Ninh FC.

Because he still has work to do with the Korean Football Association and the Korean national team in preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2026, Park Hang-seo has not immediately taken over Kanchanaburi FC.

Sources indicate that coach Park is expected to officially begin his work in Thailand at the end of July, and during this time, assistant coach Lee Jung-soo will temporarily manage the team.

Park Hang-seo's name is synonymous with the glorious era of Vietnamese football. He led the Vietnam U23 team to the runner-up position in the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, the SEA Games championships in 2019 and 2022, and to the semi-finals of the 2018 Asian Games.

He also helped the Vietnamese national team win the 2018 AFF Cup, reach the quarter-finals of the 2019 Asian Cup, and make their first appearance in the third qualifying round of a World Cup.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/vi-sao-hlv-park-hang-seo-chon-bong-da-thai-lan-post779250.html