Paying tribute to a monument

(Baonghean.vn) - After 13 years of working with Da Nang football, Coach Le Huynh Duc has decided to retire to find a new working environment. The match with HAGL at Pleiku Stadium closed an old page associated with the coach from Hue..

Coach Le Huynh Duc is a player of the same generation as Huu Thang of SLNA. He holds the record of being the player who participated in 5 consecutive Tiger Cups, from 1996 to 2004. During his years playing for the national team, he scored 34 goals for the team and was the first Vietnamese player to play abroad for Lifan (China).

Leaving Dong A Bank, he went to Da Nang to play at the invitation of the late Da Nang Secretary Nguyen Ba Thanh and then switched to coaching. During his time as coach, Le Huynh Duc and the team on the banks of the Han River won two V.League championships in 2009 and 2012, the National Cup in 2009, and the National Super Cup in 2012.

In the international arena, coach Le and SHB Da Nang reached the quarter-finals of the AFC Cup 2010. Many times VFF invited Le Huynh Duc to take charge of the national team, but he had a strong attachment to his team so he had to refuse.

Turning Point

Despite all the success, many people think that coach Le Huynh Duc is too strict with the players, especially with many young players. In fact, many Quang Nam players could not stand the management of Le Huynh Duc and left, including Thanh Hung, Phuc "chicken", Cao Cuong...

Quang Nam audiences always remember him. Photo: Internet

People think that coach Le Huynh Duc has no strategy other than spending money to buy players from all over the place, playing the trick of flipping Merlo's head to score. So whenever Merlo is injured, SHB Da Nang is helpless. And the loss to Quang Nam with ugly play when Merlo and Gramoz received red cards, was the peak of disappointment that made coach Le Huynh Duc receive countless criticisms.

It was like the "last straw" moment, making coach Le Huynh Duc feel that he should temporarily stop playing here to have time to recharge, gain experience, and leave behind plans to "change the skin, change the flesh" of SHB Da Nang's playing style.

"I think it's the right time for me to stop with SHB Da Nang, to create conditions for others to take over and do better, to create new motivation" - Coach Le Huynh Duc confided. A decision considered surprising but perhaps good for both, Huynh Duc and the team, to part ways while still having regrets.

Still unfinished

Not many people know that coach Le Huynh Duc can hardly make a revolution in playing style and personnel at SHB Da Nang for many reasons. For the past 7 years, Da Nang has not had any U11 or U13 players, so where will they get the resources to supplement the first team?

Le Huynh Duc says goodbye to Hoa Xuan stadium. Photo: Internet

After deciding to leave Da Nang, coach Le Huynh Duc tactfully sent a series of Da Nang players such as Thai Sung, Phan Van Long, Dang Anh Tuan, Minh Tam, Thanh Binh, Duy Lam, Huy Toan onto the field. And the fact that SHB.Da Nang lost 2-3 to Saigon at home was a way to say "why are young players from Da Nang always on the bench?" "even though some have played for 4 seasons, their performance has not improved much?".

Before the farewell match with his coach, captain Hoang Minh Tam shared about coach Le Huynh Duc, the teacher he respects very much:

“Thank you - the legend of Vietnamese football. Thank you for your contributions, the glory you bring to Da Nang football and all the emotions of joy and sadness for the people and football of Da Nang! Thank you for your scolding, sharing, and encouragement to help me improve myself.”

Although Huy Toan and center-back Britez will have to sit in the stands because they received enough cards, once Merlo and Gramoz return, SHB Da Nang players will be determined to win first to show gratitude and say goodbye to Huynh Duc.

AT