On the morning of January 9, before the training session of the Vietnamese futsal team at the Chanh Hung Futsal Stadium (HCMC), head coach Diego Giustozzi exchanged with the press about the preparation process for the 2026 Asian Futsal Championship finals.
According to coach Diego Giustozzi, compared to SEA Games 33, the team's current strength has important additions when 3 experienced players Ngo Ngoc Son, Chau Doan Phat and Tran Thai Huy have recovered from injuries and returned to training.
I am very happy to welcome the return of quality 3 ala, because they have a great influence on the playing style of the Vietnamese futsal team. When key players are absent, the group of young players has risen up and taken on the assigned role well. Therefore, when veteran players return, they will have to compete for positions," he said.
The Argentine coach admitted that he has never had the strongest squad in hand since leading the team due to the prolonged injuries of many key players, including goalkeeper Ho Van Y. “I only hope the players recover soon so that they can fully contribute to the team in the coming time,” coach Diego Giustozzi shared.
According to the plan, the Vietnamese futsal team will have 2 friendly matches with the Afghanistan futsal team on January 19 and 21. Appreciating the opponent, coach Diego Giustozzi said that he will consider these to be official matches to help key players regain the feeling of competition and create conditions for young players to accumulate international experience.
Looking back at SEA Games 33, coach Diego Giustozzi said that the defeat to Malaysia in the opening match put the team at a disadvantage, although afterwards the whole team improved their playing style and won an important victory against Indonesia.
Through this SEA Games, I realized that this is the true face of the team. We are capable of competing with strong teams if we maintain concentration and high form," he emphasized.
In addition, coach Diego Giustozzi also acknowledged the gap left by captain Pham Duc Hoa, and affirmed that rejuvenating the force is an inevitable direction, although the team still needs more time to accumulate experience and maintain stability throughout the tournament.
