Coach Kim Sang-sik wins the Outstanding Expert award, expressing deep gratitude to Park Hang-seo.
At the 2025 Victory Cup gala, Coach Kim Sang-sik was honored as the Best Foreign Expert and moved many when he paid tribute to the legacy of his predecessor, Park Hang-seo.
Coach Kim Sang-sik became the center of attention at the Victory Cup 2025 gala honoring the most outstanding figures in Vietnamese sports, held on the evening of January 29th in Hanoi. The South Korean strategist was officially named "Outstanding Foreign Expert of the Year," a well-deserved recognition for his persistent efforts over more than a year leading the national teams at various levels.
Inheriting and honoring the legacy of Coach Park Hang-seo
The most touching highlight of the awards ceremony was Coach Kim Sang-sik's speech. Instead of just talking about his personal achievements, he dedicated most of his time to paying tribute to his predecessor, Park Hang-seo – who laid the solid foundation for the success of Vietnamese football in the preceding period.
The 49-year-old strategist shared that he received a lot of valuable advice and sincere sharing from Coach Park Hang-seo regarding both professional expertise and Vietnamese culture. This guidance was key to helping him quickly integrate and confidently implement his new football philosophy, injecting a positive energy into the playing style of the Vietnamese players.
Cultural imprint and talented young generation
Besides the head coach award, the 2025 Victory Cup gala was also a stage to honor young talents. Striker Nguyen Dinh Bac had a memorable night, winning a "double" award: Young Athlete of the Year and Image of the Year. The moment Dinh Bac respectfully presented the pith helmet to coach Kim Sang-sik became a beautiful symbol of the cultural bond and teacher-student relationship between the foreign expert and the domestic players.
Since taking over, coach Kim Sang-sik has focused not only on results but also on developing young players. The positive statistics regarding their performance recently are clear evidence of his ability to read the game and his skillful personnel management.
Commitment to elevating Vietnamese football.
Concluding the ceremony in a warm atmosphere, Coach Kim Sang-sik delighted the entire audience by sending New Year's greetings to the fans in Vietnamese. He affirmed that this award is not the end, but a motivation for him to continue striving to lead Vietnamese football to conquer new heights in the future.