Winning the 2024 AFF Cup, Coach Kim Sang-sik enjoys unexpected 'privileges'

After a memorable journey with the Vietnamese team at the AFF Cup 2024, coach Kim Sang-sik felt the passionate football atmosphere in Vietnam. The Korean coach is loved by fans thanks to his first success.

"Everyone, from children to the elderly, recognizes me. I'm grateful for that. When I take a taxi, they don't charge me. When I go to drink coffee, they give me free coffee and say, 'You've worked hard, congratulations.' Koreans in Vietnam also thank me every time they see me. I feel so proud," SBS TV channel (Korea) quoted coach Kim Sang-sik.

Mr. Kim faced a lot of criticism, scorn and doubt in his first months in Vietnam. At that time, the Vietnamese team's performance was not good and the performance on the field in matches was not enough to satisfy the fans.

However, the situation changed after coach Kim Sang-sik and his students won consecutively at the AFF Cup 2024.

"I'm sure that if we continue to perform well, they will cheer us on even more. I will do my best to bring good news to Vietnamese fans," coach Kim Sang-sik shared.

In addition to the way Vietnamese fans show their love for football, another factor that surprised coach Kim Sang-sik was the players he worked with. In an interview with SBS television, the 48-year-old coach said he did not expect the Vietnamese players to be so strong, able to play 8 matches at such a high frequency and still recover well.

Coach Kim Sang-sik added: "The Vietnamese players are physically strong. Even when given the same exercises as in Korea, they still follow well. The players devour the training sessions and recover very quickly. The players are much stronger than I thought."

After finishing his journey at the AFF Cup 2024, coach Kim Sang-sik received great attention from the Vietnamese and Korean media. Mr. Kim continuously attended interviews and exchanges to share about the championship of the Vietnamese team.

Xiao Ming

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/vo-dich-aff-cup-2024-hlv-kim-sang-sik-huong-dac-quyen-bat-ngo-ar920482.html