Coach Kim Sang-sik has just shared frankly with a famous Korean newspaper about his journey of more than a year leading the Vietnam national team.
According to coach Kim Sang-sik, when he started his job, he was under a lot of pressure from comparisons with his predecessor Park Hang-seo. He admitted that he was once afraid of not meeting expectations, especially in the early stages of getting acquainted with new players and the football environment.
However, adjustments to the coaching strategy and personnel selection have helped the team gradually stabilize and achieve positive results.
"I don't choose players based on age, but based on actual performance and ability. When given a fair opportunity, the players try harder and create a healthy competitive spirit, Mr. Kim shared.
Over the past year, coach Kim Sang-sik has helped Vietnamese football win two titles: the ASEAN Cup championship and the Southeast Asian U23 championship, while leading the U23 to qualify for the Asian tournament. Although his playing style still has limitations, his achievements are considered to meet the requirements set when he first took office.
In the interview, the Korean coach also pointed out a habit that needs to be changed in Vietnamese players, which is taking breaks (or more precisely time-wasting) every time they fall.
He said: Vietnamese players often lie on the field, waiting for spraying medicine or drinking water to get up. I measure the actual rolling time to only about 45 minutes, so I suggest eliminating this habit to increase the efficiency of the competition".
According to the Korean coach, when the training culture is improved, the team's physical strength and intensity of competition are also improved.
Looking forward, coach Kim Sang-sik has identified the most important goal in 2025 as helping the Vietnamese team win the gold medal in men's football at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand.
He admitted that the pressure to achieve results always exists, especially in the context of regional teams improving thanks to the player naturalization policy. However, he believes that Vietnam can still compete if it promotes its strengths in spirit and the ability to organize play.
