Kiatisuk and his connection with Vietnamese football.

While the Vietnamese national team consistently rivals Thailand in every competition, creating a regional "derby" phenomenon, strangely enough, Kiatisuk has long been a close friend and mentor of Cong Phuong and Tuan Anh at HAGL, and someone who passionately desires unity and progress between Thai and Vietnamese football.

That's the beauty of football life, a story worth paying attention to in this era of comprehensive national integration, and the fact that...KiatisukHaving previously played for HAGL and then taken on the role of head coach of HAGL is a vivid example.

Coach Kiatisuk Senamuang.

Kiatisuk is the only person in the region to have won gold medals in both the roles of player and coach in the Tiger Cup/AFF Cup. This legendary player, affectionately known as "Thai Zico," scored 251 goals in 339 matches during his 18-year playing career. When he joined HAGL from 2002-2006, Kiatisuk scored 59 goals in 75 appearances. He took over HAGL again in 2006 and 2010, but without success. In the 2021 season, Kiatisuk returned to HAGL for the third time and showed a complete transformation in his coaching abilities, especially after his stints as head coach of the Thailand U23 team (2011-2016) and the Thailand national team (2013-2017).

The person most loyal and devoted to Kiatisuk is undoubtedly Chairman Duc, and Kiatisuk has certainly reciprocated that kindness from the HAGL owner. Clearly, a domestic football club with a strong identity and many achievements cannot thrive if it relies solely on homegrown talent and clings to the "mother first, son second" mentality. Vietnamese football's U19 generation, which brought glory to the region and continent, began with HAGL's breakthrough in training partnerships with foreign clubs. Along with other academies, this has produced promising young talents, allowing Vietnamese football to gain recognition and recognition in the world over the past four years, as we know. But surely, with Chairman Duc's "second move" of bringing Kiatisuk back, not only will HAGL benefit, but the entire football system will be forced to move in a direction that benefits the whole, as the 2021 V. League season has proven.

Coach Kiatisuk will elevate HAGL to a higher level. Photo: HAGL

Let's recall last season, under Kiatisuk's leadership, HAGL won 3-0 against defending champions Viettel, who at the time had a full complement of strong players like Ngoc Hai, Tien Dung, Nguyen Manh... or HAGL beat Hanoi FC 1-0 even though the visiting team in purple jerseys was not lacking Quang Hai, Duy Manh, or Hung Dung… Imagine a football league where Hanoi FC and Viettel constantly take turns winning titles, individual and team awards, and occupying all the spots in the national teams – is that a welcome sign of development and progress? HAGL, under Chairman Duc and Kiatisuk, defeating the aforementioned powerhouses is a much-anticipated and necessary change to nurture the ambition to reach new heights.

Recently, HAGL's victory in the Quang Trung Emperor Cup further demonstrated the talent of the Thai coach, even though many of his key players are currently with the national team. Looking ahead to the 2022 V. League season, HAGL will undoubtedly be a formidable opponent for any team. Furthermore, HAGL's attitude and sense of responsibility in the 2022 AFC Champions League show that Vietnamese football will benefit greatly from this, as many key national team players in the club will gain valuable experience and learn a great deal from this prestigious tournament.

Matches between SLNA and HAGL in the V.League 2021 were not only exciting because they are two of the best football academies in Vietnam, but also because coaches Quang Trường and Kiatisuk were former teammates at the HAGL club. (Photo: Archival image)

Everyone knows that a strong V. League must originate from strong clubs, such as HAGL, Hanoi FC, Viettel, SLNA, and Binh Dinh. A strong Vietnamese national team must have a strong pool of talent from clubs that regularly and consistently compete at the highest level, including HAGL with the coaching skills of Kiatisuk.

Kiatisuk's "charm" lies precisely in that. Hopefully, this charm will continue to flourish and grow over time, so that Vietnamese football, along with Thai football, will bring joy to a large number of fans. Sports bring glory to outstanding individuals, but above all, they must bring joy and excitement to fans near and far, both domestically and internationally. With Kiatisuk, we have seen this more clearly than ever before, and we increasingly hope for his continued success, even greater success...