When the VFF still trusts Mr. Duc

(Baonghean) - On December 2nd, the annual congress of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) took place. At this congress, many issues arising during the past season were discussed, including the matter that attracted much attention: the VFF Executive Committee's consideration of the resignation request of Vice President Doan Nguyen Duc.

The story of Chairman Duc's resignation stemmed from the failure of the Vietnam U22 team at the 29th SEA Games. This was perhaps the SEA Games where Vietnamese football fans had the highest expectations for a "change of medal color," as we possessed the most professionally trained team ever. Therefore, Chairman Duc declared, "If we don't win the gold medal at this SEA Games, we will never be able to do it" and "if the U22 team doesn't win the gold medal, I will resign immediately." But ultimately, the Vietnam U22 team, with a core of players from Chairman Duc's HAGL JMG Academy, suffered a painful elimination in the group stage.

Despite submitting his resignation, Mr. Duc was still trusted and persuaded to stay by the VFF Executive Committee. (Image: Internet)

According to experts, this defeat reflects the level of our young players; they may perform impressively in some youth tournaments and friendly matches, but when entering the professional football environment and the demanding major leagues, they have not yet lived up to expectations and cannot reach the same level as Thailand – our biggest rival in Southeast Asia.

The U22 team's failure at the SEA Games was also a "humiliating defeat" for Mr. Duc, as he had invested a lot of effort and money in youth football, but the results were not as expected. And as a man of integrity, Mr. Duc kept his word, and he wrote his resignation letter as Vice President of the VFF immediately after the U22 Vietnam team's exit from the 29th SEA Games.

In fact, in Vietnamese football, Mr. Duc remains a reputable and dedicated figure, with a selfless love for the sport that few can match. Proof of this is that after submitting his application to the VFF, he still went all the way to South Korea to find a head coach for the national team. He continues to invest in HAGL FC, bringing in a foreign coach. In a context where Vietnamese football is increasingly being neglected by wealthy club owners, Mr. Duc is a shining example for the "socialization" of football that the VFF is hoping to build.

Therefore, at this year's VFF annual congress, 24 out of 25 members of the VFF Executive Committee voted to allow Mr. Duc to remain until the end of his term. This is because, at present, it is difficult to find someone with sufficient credibility to replace Mr. Duc and shoulder the responsibility of leading the VFF. Therefore, the VFF Executive Committee members still trust and hope that Mr. Duc will stay to help the VFF overcome its current difficult period.

Duc Dung