Right after Song Lam Nghe An's 2-3 defeat to Ho Chi Minh City Police in round 5 of V.League 2025-2026, coach Phan Nhu Thuat submitted a resignation letter as head coach. This is the second time the 41-year-old coach has left the position of "captain" of the Nghe An team.
Song Lam Nghe An did not start this year's season as expected. After 5 matches, the team has only had 1 win, 1 draw and 3 losses, earning 4 points, ranking 11th on the rankings. Notably, in both recent rounds, despite having the advantage of leading and playing with more players, Song Lam Nghe An still dropped points against Hong Linh Ha Tinh and Ho Chi Minh City Police.
In round 4, Song Lam Nghe An took the lead early and played with one more player for most of the time, but in the end only got 1 point against Ha Tinh. In round 5, despite creating a 2-0 advantage after 21 minutes thanks to goals from Ngo Van Luong and Michel Olaha, the team still regrettably lost 2-3.
Speaking after the match, coach Phan Nhu Thuat said that lack of concentration and errors in defense were the reasons why Song Lam Nghe An lost the advantage. He said: "We missed many opportunities to finish the match. When they can't take advantage, the team has to pay the price for defensive mistakes."
Facing great pressure from fans, coach Nhu Thuat decided to leave the hot seat. According to Lao Dong, Song Lam Nghe An is urgently looking for an alternative, including coach Nguyen Thanh Cong.
