HIP-HOP, GOLDEN TROPHIES AND... LOSING JOBS
"I am the best dance coach in the world," coach Kim Sang-sik jokingly told Korean media after winning the 2024 ASEAN Cup.
It is no coincidence that from Korea to Vietnam, everyone asked Mr. Kim to dance to celebrate. From his days as a player to his time as a coach, coach Kim Sang-sik has always been known as a dancer. When Jeonbuk won the 2021 K.League championship, his celebratory Hip-Hop dance quickly became a hit.
However, unlike the image in Korea, where coach Kim Sang-sik excitedly danced for more than 1 minute, this time his Hip-Hop celebration with the Vietnam team only lasted for about 5 seconds, so fast that many reporters had to hold their heads in regret for missing this moment.
“In terms of professionalism, I want to become a brave coach, as fearsome as a tiger in front of opponents. As for the celebration dance, if I have the chance to win the championship again in the future, I also want to do that dance again, even though I know that this will not be easy to achieve,” coach Kim Sang-sik said cautiously in a conversation with VFF Channel after returning to Vietnam.
So many things have happened since coach Kim Sang-sik won the K.League and the 2024 ASEAN Cup that he has become more cautious. Kim has experienced the glory, the victory and the humiliation of his coaching career.
"After winning the ASEAN Cup, I thought a lot about Jeonbuk. I think I proved to Jeonbuk fans that I am still alive and still useful. I won many championships at Jeonbuk as both a player and a coach but was still called an idiot. People love and hate each other, and I also remember the shouts for my dismissal there," coach Kim Sang-sik told Korean media.
On May 4, 2023, coach Kim Sang-sik was fired by Jeonbuk. The achievements of winning the 2021 K.League championship and the 2022 Korean FA Cup were not enough for him to overcome the terrible pressure caused by a disappointing start to the 2023 K.League (lost 6, drew 1, won 3).
At that time, Jeonbuk fans repeatedly held banners on the field demanding coach Kim Sang-sik's resignation. About 400 fans even protested in front of the club's headquarters, blocking the team bus and demanding that Mr. Kim leave. For Jeonbuk, it was an unprecedented scene of chaos. "Most fans were happy that he left the club," wrote the K.League United news site after the incident.
The noisy breakup caused coach Kim Sang-sik's professional reputation to plummet, even though just two years earlier, he had been voted the best coach in the K.League. As a result, Mr. Kim was unemployed for the next year.
CELEBRATION DANCE IN THAILAND
1 year away from top football, 1 year of having to live with doubts, 1 year of struggling to overcome public pressure about his ability, everything started to return for coach Kim Sang-sik with the journey to Vietnam. But what he had to face at his new workplace was not easy at all.
The poor performance under coach Troussier has caused Vietnamese football to fall into a serious crisis of confidence. Things have multiplied when, during the 6 months in charge before entering the ASEAN Cup 2024, coach Kim Sang-sik only helped the Vietnamese team win 1 match, lose 3 matches and draw 1 match. And so, the whole team entered the tournament with low expectations, and Mr. Kim was even doubted whether he could keep his job if he did not complete the target of reaching the finals assigned by the VFF.
But then, overcoming everything, coach Kim Sang-sik and his students did what everyone expected. That was to win the championship. Slowly overcoming each challenge, coach Kim Sang-sik showed his leadership ability in a tournament that took place with a fierce frequency of 3 matches/day. In no match did the Vietnamese team use the same starting lineup as the previous match. Instead of constantly complaining like his compatriot Shin Tae-yong, Mr. Kim accepted the game and calmly found ways to rotate the force to adapt to the characteristics of the tournament.
The Vietnamese team gradually completed their goals, won the group, won the semi-finals to get a ticket to the final. Here, the biggest challenge of the tournament, Thailand, appeared.
It should be remembered that even under the glorious reign of coach Park Hang-seo, the Vietnamese team had never defeated Thailand in an official tournament. However, with his shrewdness, coach Kim Sang-sik did it, not just once but twice.
Before the first leg of the final, Thai defender Chalermsak caused a stir in public opinion with his statement: "I don't know who Xuan Son is." After the match, everyone knew that Xuan Son was the one who scored 2 goals against this team.
In the second leg, the moment Xuan Son collapsed on the field, painfully getting into the ambulance because of a broken leg, the whole Rajamangala stadium cheered with excitement. The obsession with Xuan Son made everyone visibly happy when the main striker of the Vietnamese team could not continue playing.
But that was also the moment when coach Kim Sang-sik's tactical talent was shown. Coach Kim's Vietnam team calmly overcame the pressure from the stands, overcame the moments of low morale, overcame the opponent's lack of fair-play to have a sweet ending. The moment victory was decided, coach Kim Sang-sik let out all his emotions, punching the sky with extreme excitement.
612 days after losing his job at Jeonbuk, the moment coach Kim Sang-sik performed his trademark celebratory dance at Rajamangala, he may have also relieved the pressure that had been on him for a long time. As for Vietnamese football, the victory at the ASEAN Cup 2024 was also a huge boost, reviving the fans' faith after a year of disappointment.
That night, the Vietnamese team not only lifted a trophy right on Thai soil, but more than that, it also brought Spring back to the country's football!
(Posted on the special edition of Labor Weekend Spring At Ty)
