Coach Troussier: Quang Hai and Cong Phuong do not deserve to be named in the national team this time

''About Quang Hai, I share the following. If we evaluate according to the criteria (poor performance at Pau FC club) thenQuang Hainot worthy of being called up, similarly Cong Phuong. Some players have played a lot in V-League but have not performed well. Imposing this criterion is only for shortening the list in official matches, that is the story of next November. For now, this is a new process, I have to go through many tests, get acquainted with the players. They also need time to get used to, understand my playing style. I want to create conditions for them."

Coach Philippe Troussier answers the media on June 5 at VFF. Photo: Hai Hoang

Mr. Troussier continued: "There is no boundary between the Vietnam national team and the Vietnam U23 team. I observe, respect and give general training information to this group of players. I have 100 potential players in theory at all ages for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the youngest can be 17 years old, the oldest is sometimes 28 years old, for example. I respect the potential of the players. To go the long way, we cannot have only 10, 20 players. In the upcoming match against the Hong Kong team, we only have 11 starting players and 6 reserve players. That is a choice during the competition. For now, I want to prioritize setting up smooth gameplay so that they understand what I want to convey.

Coach Philippe Troussier explains why Quang Hai and Cong Phuong were called up this time. Photo: Hai Hoang

As for Quang Hai, he does not deserve to be on the Vietnam national team with what he has shown. But I want to meet Quang Hai to encourage and strengthen his spirit. He is very important, he has scored important goals at key moments. Right now, he just needs to be confident. In the coming training process, I hope he will get into the rhythm and perform well."

When asked to give advice on destinations for Vietnamese players if they go abroad to play, coach Troussier shared: "I understand and sympathize with the players, because living and playing abroad is not easy. There are many difficulties. Going abroad means having to get used to a different living environment, climate, food, culture, there are conflicts in communication and language, not to mention professional requirements. For example, Quang Hai.

Quang Hai only played for Pau FC for 254 minutes. Quang Hai often sat on the bench or was not registered before matches and he was also transferred to play for Pau FC's B team. Photo: Pau FC

In Ligue 2, the professional requirements are faster and stronger, requiring Quang Hai to push himself, get used to the intensity of the competition and make quick decisions. I don't have any specific advice, but from the beginning, the club and the player need to understand and support each other better, how to support players in a new environment such as translation, creating favorable conditions for them to limit difficulties. There are clubs willing to pay high transfer fees and salaries, but the subsequent investment to help players overcome difficulties is not at the maximum level. I once talked to the President of Pau FC. I know that Quang Hai's mother went to France to visit her son, but only for a short time because her visa was not extended, so it is difficult to support the player mentally. Vietnamese players going abroad should go to Korea, Japan, Thailand, which is more suitable"./.