Coach Kim Sang-sik: We will not be easily defeated by Man Utd
Despite having only one training session before the match, coach Kim Sang-sik still expressed confidence in the ability of the Southeast Asian All-Star team to compete against Manchester United in a friendly match in Malaysia.
On the afternoon of May 27 in Malaysia, a press conference was held before the friendly match between Manchester United and the Southeast Asian All-Stars. Despite admitting to having difficulty in preparing, coach Kim Sang-sik still affirmed that his team will play well against the stars from England.
"We only had one training session yesterday afternoon and the squad is not yet complete. However, the whole team will try to aim for a positive result against Manchester United. Thank you to the organizers for creating a meaningful match for the coaching staff, players and fans," said coach Kim.
Mr. Kim Sang-sik is the strategist who led the Vietnamese team to the AFF Cup 2024 championship and was invited by the Southeast Asian Football Federation to lead the Regional All-Stars team to play a friendly match with Manchester United. In the call-up list, Vietnamese football contributed four names including Do Duy Manh, Hai Long, Van Vi and Hoang Duc.
On the other side, Manchester United brought their strongest squad with 32 players, including many pillars of last season. This was the first match of the "Red Devils" Asian tour, before they faced the Hong Kong team a few days later.
Coach Ruben Amorim shared that he highly appreciated the significance of the match, not only in terms of expertise but also in terms of the emotional connection between the club and Southeast Asian fans. "We will play our best to bring a performance worthy of the expectations of fans in this region," he said.
The Portuguese strategist also said that he has a certain interest in Southeast Asian football, especially the development of Vietnamese football and sports such as badminton in Malaysia. Although he did not specifically name the players, he affirmed that he follows tournaments in the region.
Manchester United arrived in Malaysia just hours after their final Premier League match of the 2024-2025 season, where they defeated Aston Villa. The team received 7.8 million pounds (equivalent to more than 274 billion VND) to participate in this friendly match.
Despite being a club with a rich tradition of 20 domestic championships, Man Utd just had a forgettable season when they only finished in 15th place with 42 points, empty-handed in all competitions and did not qualify for the European Cup.
Coach Amorim frankly acknowledged this defeat as an opportunity for the team to learn and rebuild. "We need to improve with each match. Not being able to participate in the European Cup will give the club time to rebuild and strengthen the depth of the squad," he said.
Regarding the match taking place at 7:45 p.m. on May 28, Mr. Amorim revealed that some injured players will not play but will still travel with the team, while opening up opportunities for young players to play. "Man Utd has the responsibility to bring a good match. I always want the team to show professionalism and desire at all times," the Man Utd head coach concluded the press conference.
