Coach Park leaves Vietnam team after AFF Cup 2022
The Vietnam Football Federation and coach Park Hang-seo have agreed to part ways after the current contract expires on January 31, 2023.
The decision means that the AFF Cup in December will be Mr. Park's last tournament as head coach of the Vietnamese national team.
"I will always remember the memories of my 5-year journey with Vietnamese football," he shared in a statement released by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) this afternoon. "This has been a memorable and very interesting journey."
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Coach Park will end his special journey with Vietnamese football after 5 years. Photo:Duc Dong |
The Korean coach also said that he understood the love and support given to him during his time in Vietnam, and promised to continue to make efforts to respond to that love in the near future even though he leaves his current position.
VFF affirmed that the separation came from "mutual understanding" and "wishing for a prosperous future for both sides". They affirmed that Mr. Park still maintains a close partnership and aims to develop Vietnamese football.
Coach Park came to Vietnamese football in late 2017 and achieved many successes with a silver medal at the 2018 U23 Asian Cup, winning the 2018 AFF Cup, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2019 Asian Cup, winning two gold medals at the 2019 and 2021 SEA Games, and leading the team to the final qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup - Asia for the first time. Under his tenure, Vietnam has always maintained its position as the leading country in Southeast Asia, and is also the Southeast Asian country that has held the position for the longest time in FIFA's top 100.
Coach Park has renewed his contract with VFF twice. The first contract was for 2 years, extended for another 2 years in 2019. In 2021, the contract automatically activated a 1-year extension clause. In September and October 2022, VFF and Mr. Park's representative worked together before deciding to part ways.
The AFF Cup 2022 is scheduled to take place from December 23 to January 15, 2023. Vietnam is in Group B with Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar and Laos. Since the Covid-19 epidemic has been controlled, the tournament will return to the old competition format. Accordingly, each team will play 4 group stage matches, including 2 away matches and 2 home matches according to the predetermined draw code. Vietnam will play 2 home matches against Malaysia, Myanmar and away matches against Laos and Singapore.
