U23 Vietnam: The class of Coach Mr. Park and Mr. Gede

We do not want to talk much about the professional aspect because the class of Mr. Park and Mr. Gede was confirmed before coming to Vietnam. The story we want to tell is the extremely humane and professional behavior of the two foreign coaches.

Vietnamese football is facing a great opportunity, but if it is not seized, the interest of fans will gradually cool. Photo: AT

Full of humanity

Before the final match between U23 Vietnam vs U23 Uzbekistan, from Jiangsu (China), Technical Director Jurgen Gede called coach Hoang Anh Tuan and told him: "Please prepare some time, I will have a few beers to celebrate". Upon returning to Vietnam, right after the celebration, Gede invited Hoang Anh Tuan to a familiar restaurant in My Dinh, very ordinary, the frontage of the restaurant was probably only 2m but the heart was very big.

During the evening of drinking beer on the sidewalk, Mr. Gede pointed at coach Hoang Anh Tuan and said: "I think Vietnamese football needs to thank you. I counted up to 8 U20 Vietnam players contributing to U23 Vietnam, including 3-4 official and decisive positions such as goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung, Nguyen Quang Hai...

I want to share my joy and pride with you. After hearing this sentence from Mr. Gede, Coach Hoang Anh Tuan burst into tears, cried in happiness... this impression was told by Tuan to journalist Minh Hai, while telling the story, tears of happiness still welled up in his eyes.

How many people in life have thoughts and actions as humane as Mr. Jurgen Gede? Not only Coach Hoang Anh Tuan but anyone will feel moved by such simple but humane gestures.

Know how to control yourself

While the VFF, localities and U23 Vietnam players were intoxicated with victory, Mr. Park quietly flew to Gia Lai to thank Mr. Duc. From the Central Highlands, he flew back to Ho Chi Minh City to visit journalist Nguyen Cong Khe - who has been the Head of the Organizing Committee of the National U21 Tournament for 21 years - Thanh Nien Newspaper. This is the cradle that nurtured and discovered many members of U23 Vietnam in the past as well as the present.

While everyone was overwhelmed with emotions of victory, the Korean coach remained calm: "Until now, I still feel happy about the runner-up title. And I know that this will be a development opportunity for many players. Some will become more famous and gain public attention. But everything will pass and if we do not know how to control ourselves, success will not come in the future."

Right after the Gala at My Dinh Stadium, Mr. Park quietly flew to Gia Lai to thank Mr. Duc. Photo: Internet

For Vietnamese football and the U23 Vietnam players, such opportunities are not many. If you do not know how to seize them, they will be forgotten very quickly. Mr. Park once gnawed at such emotions:

“I won fourth place at the 2002 World Cup, but a year later, the fans' interest gradually faded. It's okay, I understand that. Therefore, players must always remain humble and determined to improve." The lesson of Korean football is still valuable to Vietnam, what comes quickly also goes quickly.

Mr. Park not only said but also did, very professionally. Before returning the U23 Vietnam players to the club, Mr. Park had all his players undergo a health check. Indicators such as: blood content, lungs, heart rate, endurance... were all made public and recorded in a document.

Players Van Duc and Xuan Manh interact at Nghe An Newspaper

(Baonghean.vn) - Two U23 Vietnam players who grew up from the Youth Football Tournament - Nghe An Newspaper Cup, Van Duc and Xuan Manh, are interacting with readers at Nghe An Newspaper.

He declared to the players that if they were called back to the U23/National Team in the future, these stats had to change in a positive direction. If any player “did not control himself” and let it drop, he would immediately remove them from the team.

The players know that Mr. Park is not joking and understand what they need to do when they return to the club, if they still want the opportunity to wear the national team shirt. This is really new and in fact no coach has ever done it before, but it has a positive and necessary deterrent.

As a professional player you have to know how to protect yourself!