Hanoi FC's appointment of former player Harry Kewell as head coach is becoming the focus of the world media.
This decision surprised many newspapers in Europe and Southeast Asia, when the former Liverpool and Leeds United stars chose Vietnam as the next stop in their coaching careers.
According to the official announcement on October 4, Harry Kewell became the 10th coach of Hanoi FC since 2021. The team's leadership expects the appearance of the Australian coach to bring a new tactical mindset, helping the team regain its position in the V.League and reach the continental arena.
Bola (Indonesia) called this "a big move for Vietnamese football", while The Sun (UK) published an article titled: "Former Liverpool star unexpectedly took a coaching job in Vietnam". Glasgow World (Scotland) commented that Hanoi FC "had attracted global attention with an iconic contract".
Although he was once an icon of Australian football, Harry Kewell has had a coaching career of many ups and downs. He has led low-level teams in England such as Crawley Town, Notts County and Oldham Athletic but has not achieved significant success. Kewell has also been assistant to coach Ange Postecoglou at Celtic, where he helped the team win the treble in the 2022-2023 season.
Before coming to Vietnam, Kewell had a short time leading Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan, but was fired after 7 months due to poor results. However, many opinions say that going to Hanoi FC could become a "turning point to rebuild the career" of the former player born in 1978.
Some comments on Goal Japan said that Kewell has not proven his ability, but this is an opportunity for him to demonstrate his leadership and inspiration for Vietnamese players.
International media commented that Hanoi FC has bet on a name with high-level competition experience, and whether Kewell's success or not in Vietnam will be a big test for both sides.
