What did Kiatisuk say after HAGL successfully stayed in the league; Pique refused the request for a farewell press conference with Barca?

What did Kiatisuk say after HAGL successfully stayed in the league?

"It's really a record to go 10 matches without a win. I'm not happy about that, but after today's match, it's different. The whole team is working hard to overcome ourselves, to eliminate the problems inside and outside the field. HAGL is trying to regain the trust of the fans," Kiatisuk said after the 2-0 victory over Nam Dinh in round 23 on the evening of November 4 in Pleiku.

This result helped HAGL stay in the league 3 rounds early with 27 points. Meanwhile, Nam Dinh slipped to the second-to-last position with only 1 point more than Saigon FC. The two teams will meet in round 25 at Thien Truong Stadium. It is a life-or-death match for the two teams to stay in V.League 1.

"HAGL has resolved the long series of unsuccessful matches. We got rid of the heavy mentality and tried our best because there was no other way. HAGL is a famous name not only in Vietnam but also in Thailand. Fans' expectations are high so we have to do our best," he emphasized.

Kiatisuk had a challenging second season with many problems at HAGL. Photo:Quang Thinh.

Coach Kiatisuk determined that HAGL no longer has the ability to compete for the top 3, so he aims for a position in the top 5 strongest teams in V.League 2022. He set this goal just to attract audiences to Pleiku Stadium. Recently, the number of fans cheering for the mountain town team has been decreasing.

Regarding the personnel situation for next season, the Thai legend said: "The loaned players will be called back from Cong An Nhan Dan, Kontum, Hai Phong. We have about 40-50 players aged 19-21 to develop. Some have played in the AFC Champions League and produced encouraging results."

The Thai coach explained the difference in the results of the last two seasons: "Each season is different. This year, the team's machinery has problems, facing many issues on and off the field. HAGL's strategy is to compete for the championship to achieve high results and participate in the international arena."

Pique refuses Barca farewell press conference request

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Pique directly informed Laporta of his desire to hang up his boots last week. The Spanish midfielder said that this was the best decision for himself and the club.

Pique was disappointed after conceding a goal in the 3-3 draw with Inter on October 12. Photo:EFE

Barca's president agreed with Pique's wishes and wanted to hold a press conference with the participation of all club members for the 35-year-old center-back to announce his decision to retire. In the summer of 2021, Barca also held a farewell press conference for Lionel Messi, when they could not renew the contract with the Argentine star due to financial reasons.

However, Pique rejected Laporta's offer and announced his decision on social media. "It's been 25 years since I joined Barca. Football and Barca have given me everything. Now, with all my childhood dreams coming true, I have decided to end this journey," he said in a video posted on November 3.

During the season, Pique fell out of favour and was only Xavi's fifth choice at centre-back, behind Ronald Araujo, Kounde, Christensen and Eric Garcia. Pique even served as a backup for Alonso - who plays left-back - in many matches. He only played nine times, played 554 minutes, of which only five were starts, and often made mistakes. Thousands of Barca fans even whistled in protest after Pique came on for Jules Kounde in the win over Villarreal on the evening of October 20.

Pique decided to retire after facing criticism following the 3-3 draw with Inter in the Champions League. This result left Barca with little hope of progressing and was officially eliminated in the next round. Pique admitted that he did not play well, but was still surprised by the wave of criticism. According to Marca, the Spanish player also knew that Barca had "pushed" some of these smears to force him to leave.

Along with his decision to retire, Pique gave up all his salary, bonuses, and loyalty bonuses in his contract that runs until 2024, helping Barca save about $50 million. In August 2021, Pique reduced his income to almost free, to help the club overcome the financial crisis.

Today, November 5, Pique will play his final match of his career, when Barca hosts Almeria in round 13 of La Liga. He has made 616 appearances for the Camp Nou team, winning three Champions Leagues, eight La Ligas, seven Copa del Reys, six Spanish Super Cups, three European Super Cups and three FIFA Club World Cups.

Van Hau mocks Thanh Hoa players

After sitting out the match against Da Nang, Doan Van Hau returned to the starting lineup when Hanoi FC played Thanh Hoa away in round 23 of the V.League. Van Hau's opponent is Le Xuan Hung (number 9), a player born in 1991 who used to play in Thailand and Laos.

Xuan Hung's experience and cunning made it quite difficult for Van Hau. In the 50th minute, in a failed blocking situation, Van Hau was hit in the face by the opponent. The Hanoi FC defender retaliated and was given a yellow card by referee Nguyen Viet Duan. Hau received 3 yellow cards and will be suspended for the next match. Dissatisfied with the referee, Van Hau showed a sarcastic attitude towards his opponent. Xuan Hung was still lying on the ground, holding his face. Hau made a gesture to show that his hit did not hurt the opponent that much.

Playing away matches is always difficult for Hanoi FC. Many teammates had to encourage Van Hau to control his emotions.

From the moment Thanh Hoa equalized 1-1, many Hanoi FC players were impatient and easily upset with referee Duẩn's penalty decisions. With the important nature affecting the championship race, the match between Thanh Hoa and Hanoi was tense with many fiery collisions.

On his return, Van Hau actively attacked and defended, making many attempts to finish. Van Hau's biggest regret was the header that went over the bar in the 68th minute. This was a shot where Hau jumped high and chose a good position, while Thanh Hoa goalkeeper Thanh Diep left the goal to rush forward. Unable to score another goal, Hanoi FC accepted the 1-1 draw.

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