According to Lao Dong's source, it is likely that assistant Phung Thanh Phuong will take on the position of interim coach leading Ho Chi Minh City Police Club in the remainder of V.League 2025-2026.
Coach Phung Thanh Phuong is a familiar face and has had a lot of experience leading V.League clubs and maintained stable achievements. He is considered a calm, progressive person who always puts the collective interests first, not placing emphasis on taking on any position in the team.
The decision to change stemmed from the decline in performance of Ho Chi Minh City Police in the important period. This team once competed for the top group, but dropped to mid-table after a series of disappointing matches. Notably, at one point the team lost 3 consecutive matches, did not score any goals and conceded up to 10 goals. Most recently, the defeat to Nam Dinh continued to cause the team to drop to 6th place and reveal many problems in terms of force and playing style.
Not only did the results decline, Ho Chi Minh City Police also faced great personnel difficulties when many key players were injured, directly affecting the strength of the squad. The attack was ineffective while the defense continuously made mistakes, causing the team to lose stability.
In that context, changing the coaching bench is considered a step to create a morale boost for the whole team in the final stage of the season. If given the opportunity, assistant Phung Thanh Phuong will face a difficult task, when he has to both stabilize the players' psychology and improve his playing style to aim to maintain his position in the competing group.
