Coach Phan Thanh Hung and the values left behind

In the last years of his career, when his health no longer allowed him to stand on the field regularly, coach Phan Thanh Hung still spent most of his time in Da Nang football.

He used to manage youth training, then returned to support the first team in a difficult period. In the 2024-2025 season, his experience contributed to helping the Han River team overcome the pressure of relegation.

During this period, he also continued to pass on what he had accumulated after decades of working for young coaches.

Coach Phan Thanh Hung once said: "Without tolerance, you cannot be a teacher, you cannot make football successful.

That saying is part of his professional philosophy. Tolerance is not about ignoring all mistakes. A teacher still needs to know when to be strict, when to pull students back, and most importantly, not to close the door to a player just because they have made mistakes.

SHB Da Nang once had a talented young player but was quite stubborn. At one point, due to an inappropriate attitude, this player angered coach Phan Thanh Hung. The student also reacted in a very childish way, went out to play and left his phone in the room. He sent people to find him.

When he was brought back to play from the bench, something unexpected happened when this player scored. But more important than goals is attitude. The previous indifference almost disappeared, the young player played seriously, complied with requirements and showed a clear change.

That is how coach Phan Thanh Hung is a teacher. He not only asks players to play better, but wants them to mature more after each mistake.

Football for coach Phan Thanh Hung has never been a job that can be "learned and then stopped". He has spent many years at the top of the V.League, owning many major titles with Hanoi FC, Than Quang Ninh or SHB Da Nang. But the more experience he has, the more he understands that football is always changing and professionals must continue to learn.

Even when his health declines, he still watches big matches. At the 2026 World Cup, coach Phan Thanh Hung is still interested in the tactics and operation of the teams and especially pays attention to the Spanish team - a team with many similarities to his football concept.

The teacher of many generations of Vietnamese players at that time was no longer strong enough to do familiar jobs. He could not teach, could not continuously be present on the training ground, and no longer had the conditions to directly coach each player as before.

But just mentioning football, tactics or a team that he cares about, people can still recognize a very different person - alert, passionate and willing to analyze every detail.

Coach Phan Thanh Hung stopped at the age of 66. But what he left behind is not in the trophies, achievements, or classic matches.

The most valuable thing is the legacy he left for the players he once coached, the young coaches he once guided, and the professional stories that will be recalled forever after.