Coach Kim Sang-sik changes assistant team in Vietnam team; MU announces first new player under coach Amorim

Coach Kim Sang-sik changes assistant team in Vietnam team

Coach Kim Sang-sikjust said goodbye to his assistants, including interpreter Lee Seong-joo and two fitness coaches Choi Sung-rak and Yoo Seung-min. Right after the 2024 AFF Cup, they proactively announced their plan to return to Korea to Mr. Kim.

Many Vietnamese players hope that the two fitness coaches will continue to be with the team. At the AFF Cup 2024, in addition to Coach Kim's reasonable rotation strategy, the fitness team plays an important role in maintaining the players' physical condition. Thanks to that, the Vietnamese team maintained outstanding endurance from the group stage to the final. Meanwhile, assistant Lee Seong-joo took on the role of interpreter from Korean to English.

All three assistants came to Vietnam at the recommendation of a famous professor at Mokpo University (South Korea). They had high incomes in their home country but decided to support Coach Kim because of their belief in the football project in Vietnam. After the 2024 AFF Cup final, Mr. Kim also parted ways with goalkeeper coach Lee Won-jae.

Leaving Vietnam, interpreter Lee Seong-joo shared that for the first time he felt recognized by the public. After winning the AFF Cup with the Vietnamese team, he continuously received congratulations from friends and witnessed the attention of the Korean media towards the Southeast Asian tournament. From an ordinary student, Lee suddenly became famous.

"I realized that football is not just about 90 minutes on the field. It also entails countless side jobs, from administration to communication. The work pressure is huge, but when I see Vietnamese players always happy and friendly, I have more motivation to continue trying," Lee confided.

Nam Dinh refused to sell Xuan Son for more than 3 million USD

A Saudi Arabian club once offered to buyNguyen Xuan Sonfor more than 3 million USD, but Nam Dinh leaders decided to keep him to continue contributing to Vietnamese football.

The offer from the (unnamed) Saudi Arabian team came after the 2023/24 season, when Xuan Son had not yet been naturalized and was still called Rafaelson Fernandes. The Brazilian-born striker impressed by scoring 31 goals, helping Nam Dinh win the V.League championship.

"A club in Saudi Arabia is willing to pay more than 3 million USD (about 75 billion VND) to buy Xuan Son, but Mr. Thien refused. He wants to keep this player to continue contributing to the club and complete the naturalization process," said Nam Dinh Club CEO Nguyen Quoc Phong.

Mr. Thien played a decisive role in Xuan Son's historic turning point. He directly met and convinced the striker to stay, helped him obtain Vietnamese citizenship and join the national team for the 2024 ASEAN Cup, where he made a great contribution to the team's championship journey.

As for Xuan Son, he has no intention of playing abroad but wants to continue to stick with Nam Dinh. He sees Mr. Thien as his second father and is ready to follow the club's direction.

MU announces first new player under coach Ruben Amorim

Manchester United have officially confirmed the signing of Ayden Heaven, a promising young talent from Arsenal. This is the team's first contract under Ruben Amorim's reign.

The 18-year-old signed a contract with United until 2029 and was promoted to the first team immediately. Heaven shared after completing the deal: "I am proud to join Manchester United. This is a dream come true and I am grateful to everyone who helped me get this opportunity. I still have a lot to learn and will try my best."

Because Heaven still has a contract with Arsenal until the summer, MU had to pay a "significant" compensation fee to own this central defender sooner than expected.

Mikel Arteta rated Heaven highly but could not keep him when the centre-back refused to extend his contract due to concerns about limited playing opportunities. This is the second time within a year that MU has recruited young talent from Arsenal, after the Chido Obi-Martin deal in July 2024.

The appearance of Heaven and Obi-Martin shows that the "Red Devils" are stepping up their investment strategy in young talents to build a foundation for the future.

Real Madrid shockingly lost to Espanyol

Round 22 of La Liga witnessed a big shock when Real Madrid lost 0-1 to Espanyol, a team in the relegation zone. This defeat caused Los Blancos to be closely followed by Atletico Madrid in the rankings.

Despite dominating the game, Real Madrid were unable to break down Espanyol's solid defence. VAR ruled out a goal from Vinicius Jr. in the first half, while Mbappe and Bellingham repeatedly missed chances. In the 85th minute, Carlos Romero punished the visitors' wastefulness with the only goal of the game, lifting Espanyol out of the relegation zone.

Bayern almost tied despite leading by 4 goals

Bayern Munich seemed to have an easy win over Holstein Kiel when they led 4-0 after 60 minutes. However, they almost paid the price for their complacency.

Musiala opened the scoring in the 19th minute, Kane scored twice, and Gnabry added the fourth in the 54th minute. But Holstein Kiel unexpectedly rose strongly, scoring three goals in the second half, including two in injury time. Fortunately for Bayern, they still maintained their 4-3 victory, thereby maintaining their top position in the Bundesliga with 51 points after 20 rounds, temporarily 9 points ahead of Leverkusen.