Coach Park Hang-seo burst into tears at a thank-you event for Vietnamese fans.

This was the first time in over five years of working in Vietnam that the South Korean strategist had the opportunity to share freely and openly with the fans. Only 30 fans attended the event (as registered with Coach Park Hang-seo's representative company). They also prepared meaningful gifts for him and had a very enjoyable interaction with Coach Park.

After his contract with the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) ended on January 31, 2023, Coach Park Hang-seo held a fan meeting in Hanoi on the evening of February 2. Photo: Hai Hoang

Opening the meet-and-greet, Coach Park Hang-seo shared: “Thank you everyone for coming to see me. I also apologize for not having had more time with you all lately. I see many familiar faces, whom I’ve met at football stadiums recently. My contract as head coach of the Vietnamese national team ended two days ago. Today is the first event where I am no longer the head coach of the Vietnamese national team, but just an ordinary person named Park Hang-seo. Even though I’m no longer a coach, many fans still came to see me today. I am very happy.”.I'm speechless at how I feel right now. Thanks to everyone's support and affection, I've been the happiest football coach in the world for the past five years. When I first came to Vietnam, I didn't expect to receive such overwhelming support from everyone."

Coach Park Hang Seo meets with familiar fans of Vietnamese football. Photo: Hai Hoang.

After about an hour of interacting, chatting, and reminiscing with the fans, Coach Park Hang-seo expressed his gratitude through a letter. The South Korean coach was visibly moved:"When I came here, I didn't think I would receive such overwhelming support from everyone. I still remember the feeling of disappointment when the team only won the Silver Medal at the 2018 U23 Asian Championship, yet people still cheered and paraded in the streets. At that time, I felt more anxious than happy, because I am a coach who has experienced many successes and failures. I know that fame can vanish like smoke in the blink of an eye. Therefore, we cannot be arrogant."

Coach Park will remain in Vietnam and will collaborate to open a youth football academy. Photo: Hai Hoang

“Throughout my five years as head coach of the Vietnamese national team, I frankly admit that I have never regretted a single moment. Because I have lived my life to the fullest. And I love the players very much. Everyone knows that the coach alone cannot win. The victories that everyone sees are not simply due to my efforts and the players' contributions, but also to the logistics and the staff behind the scenes. I always cherish and love everyone very much. Every time the team receives a reward, we share it equally among all members of the team. I am fortunate to have worked with the players I love and with the incredibly responsible staff,” said Coach Park Hang-seo.

Regarding future plans, Coach Park said he enjoys exploring Vietnam and intends to open a youth academy: “I am also planning to collaborate on opening a youth academy for Vietnamese football. I will use my coaching experience in both Vietnam and Korea to contribute to Vietnamese football in the future.”

"I will be in Vietnam until June, then I plan to return to Korea. It's very cold in Korea right now. I'll wait until June when it's warmer before going back. The weather in Hanoi is very nice right now. Don't worry, I have a house in Hanoi so I will be able to travel between Hanoi and Vietnam. It will depend on the plane tickets, but I don't think that will be a problem," Coach Park Hang-seo explained the reason he hasn't returned to Korea after his contract ended.

Finally, Coach Park, with a choked voice, said goodbye: "Thanks to everyone, I have completed my term on a fulfilling note. For five years, I dedicated all my time to tournaments and contributing to Vietnamese football, so I didn't have much time to meet everyone. But now that I'm back to normal, I hope to see you all more often in the future."