On January 9, coach Kim Sang-sik had a talk with Lao Dong Newspaper after a memorable journey at the ASEAN Cup 2024, where the Vietnamese team won the championship.
Looking forward to the next stage, the Korean coach shared: "After the tournament ends, my coaching staff and I will attend matches in V.League 1 and V.League 2 to monitor, find new factors and search for young talents. To participate in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers and the 33rd SEA Games, we must be better prepared."
"The board of directors and I will focus on finding young players to serve the national team in the coming time. We want players who are willing to sacrifice and dedicate themselves to the team like the big brothers Ngoc Tan or Dinh Trieu. If we want to build a garden, we have to choose each tree in it, the same goes for creating a good team," said Mr. Kim.
After leaving his former club Jeonbuk, coach Kim Sang-sik took on the role of Vietnam national team with a lot of pressure. The ASEAN Cup championship gave him more motivation and confidence to continue his work.
"The role of head coach is always a difficult job. When you lose, there is pressure, but when you win the championship, there is happiness. I always have pressure in training and playing for the players.
"The last time I led Jeonbuk club was not very good, but I feel comfortable and happy to be here. Because it was difficult before, now that it is successful, I feel even happier," Mr. Kim added.
The Korean coach believes that if the national team wants to improve, it is necessary to find good players. Other countries in the region have been continuously bringing in foreign players and naturalizing foreign players.
"I hope VFF will create better conditions for overseas Vietnamese and naturalized players, so that they can serve the national team. To move forward and reach further goals, we need better players. We will always try to find good players for the national team," coach Kim Sang-sik shared.
