Coach Alfred Riedl: "I am living and working thanks to Vietnamese flesh and blood!"
“I am the head coach of the Indonesian national team, but half of me is Vietnamese. I am healthy and work well now thanks to my Vietnamese blood and flesh,” said coach Riedl before returning to the place where he has worked for more than 10 years and especially he also has a Vietnamese kidney.
Coach Riedl discussed tactics with famous player Hong Son when he was still in Vietnam.
“Dear, GIVE ME A BOTTLE OF HANOI BEER!”
Coach Alfred Riedl appeared at My Dinh Stadium with many changes in appearance but his eyes were still gentle, his smile was still friendly. For him, Vietnam is his second homeland! The only difference between him and the Vietnamese is that he does not have citizenship here. After the training session, the Austrian coach smiled and greeted reporters and old acquaintances. When he returned to the hotel and met some Vietnamese friends, he still ordered his favorite drink, in Vietnamese: "Em oi, cho chai bia Ha Noi!"
Returning to Vietnam, to Hanoi, Coach Riedl met many old friends, especially his football confidants. Right in the Vietnam National Team, he met Mai Duc Chung again, who shared the most difficult time when the Austrian coach had to return home for a kidney transplant. He reunited with Dang Phuong Nam, his former student who is now a member of the Vietnam National Team's coaching staff. He shook hands and asked about the players who fought with him in many arenas such as Cong Vinh, Tan Tai, Thanh Luong, Phuoc Tu, Van Bien, Vinh Loi...
Returning to Hanoi, many memories came flooding back to Coach Riedl. The Austrian coach missed his friend’s coffee shop on Nha Tho Street, where he always had a private corner. He missed the times with friends eating European food, drinking Czech beer and speaking German to ease his homesickness… The emotions about Hanoi, about Vietnam with his friends will never be forgotten.
“VIETNAMESE HOUSE IN AUSTRIA”
During more than ten years of working in Vietnam, it is completely understandable that Coach Riedl loves our country. However, when his body was transplanted with a kidney from a Vietnamese donor, the name Vietnam really became ingrained in his blood. Since then, he has wanted to Vietnamize his life! Not only did he learn to eat with chopsticks, he also tried to learn Vietnamese and designed a Vietnamese house in the heart of Vienna, the capital of Austria.
When in Vietnam, Coach Riedl often goes to concerts and art exhibitions. He loves to buy souvenirs that symbolize Vietnam, such as a picture of the Northern countryside, a Southern canal, or a pair of water buffaloes. All of these items are displayed in his house. “If you have the opportunity to go to Austria, please come to my house and you will see that it is a Vietnamese house! I tried to buy everything from the fence to the tables, chairs and other items. I not only buy for myself, but also for my beloved friends.”
Although he is no longer the head coach of the Vietnam National Team and this is his first time leading a football team in his second homeland, Coach Riedl still has an unchanging love for Vietnam, because it is in his blood.
Riedl record holder
Coach Riedl holds 3 records of the previous Tiger Cup and the current AFF Suzuki Cup. He is the foreign coach who has worked in Southeast Asia for the longest time (16 years), the oldest coach in 10 tournaments (65 years old), and has led the most teams (Vietnam, Laos and Indonesia). Particularly with Vietnamese football, the Austrian coach has been most closely associated with and has also made very deep impressions when helping Vietnam win the silver medal at the Tiger Cup 1998 and the silver medals at the SEA Games 1999, 2003 and 2005.
According to Bongda+
