Song Lam Nghe An successfully recruits Brazilian fitness coach.

Filling the void after a wave of breakups.

After completing the signings of center-back Jairo Rodrigues and midfielder Joseph Onoja, Song Lam Nghe An continues to attract attention by adding Brazilian fitness coach Paulo Ramos Pereira. With the team from Nghe An entering a rebuilding phase with significant personnel changes, this is seen as a logical, even necessary, move if they want to improve their competitiveness in the V.League 2026/27.

The 2025/26 season concluded, marking the departure of several key players for Song Lam Nghe An. Ngo Van Luong, Tran Manh Quynh, and Vuong Van Huy all left the team after their contracts expired. Conversely, Michael Olaha ended his long association with the club to move to a new destination, while foreign players Justin Garcia and Dale Moore did not continue their association.

The void left by these players will not be easy to fill with new signings. In fact, coach Van Sy Son will most likely have to place his trust in the young players who have come through the Song Lam Nghe An academy, such as Long Vu, Thanh Duc, Phung Van Nam, Phan Xuan Dai… However, when using these young players, the Song Lam Nghe An coaching staff will have to solve two problems simultaneously: their technical skills and their physical fitness.

The 2026/27 V.League season will be even more intense as each team is allowed to register four foreign players in their starting lineup. Furthermore, the presence of overseas Vietnamese and naturalized players will significantly increase the intensity of competition. Without improving their physical fitness, the young players of Song Lam Nghe An will find it very difficult to adapt to a competition environment with increasingly high speed and physical demands.

In this context, adding a dedicated fitness coach is crucial. It's not simply about developing endurance running or weightlifting training programs; a modern fitness coach is also responsible for optimizing strength, speed, recovery, and injury prevention. This is an area where most professional V.League clubs have invested in significant resources over the years.

It can be said that while new recruits help improve the quality of the squad, the fitness coach contributes to enhancing the quality of the existing players. For a team like Song Lam Nghe An, which lacks the financial resources to constantly recruit stars, this is a logical approach to maximize the use of internal resources.

Can the Brazilian fitness coach make a difference?

So the question is, will coach Paulo Ramos Pereira be able to make a difference when he comes to Song Lam Nghe An? In terms of professional qualifications, the Brazilian fitness coach has a rather impressive resume.

Coach Paulo Ramos Pereira previously worked in several countries such as South Korea, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Thailand before coming to Vietnam. Constantly adapting to different football environments and climates has helped him accumulate experience in developing training plans suitable for different groups of players.

One notable aspect is Paulo's coaching philosophy, which leans towards specialized ball-based physical training rather than traditional, heavy exercises. His training programs focus on explosive speed, directional changes, balance, and high-intensity endurance—elements well-suited to the physical characteristics of Southeast Asian players.

In addition, his experience working with youth teams in South Korea and Brazil has given him expertise in developing the physical fitness of players who are in the process of perfecting their skills, which is very suitable for the young players that Song Lam Nghe An currently possesses.

However, a strong resume doesn't guarantee immediate success. Paulo Ramos Pereira's biggest limitation is his lack of experience in top Asian leagues or high-level clubs. Most of the teams he's managed have been lower-division or small-to-medium sized clubs. Furthermore, his time at each club has been relatively short, insufficient to develop a long-term fitness development cycle.

More importantly, physical fitness is only one link in the entire system of a football team's operation. A good fitness coach cannot immediately transform a team lacking depth into a top contender. Paulo Ramos Pereira's success will depend on coordination with coach Van Sy Son, the medical team, nutrition from meals, and the players' ability to learn.

Nevertheless, with Song Lam Nghe An entering a transitional phase with many young players, investing in physical fitness remains a necessary direction. If Paulo Ramos Pereira can demonstrate his professional abilities, the team from Nghe An can build a squad with greater stamina, speed, and the ability to maintain intensity, thereby better adapting to the fierce competition of the V.League.