The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) is preparing to extend a historic contract with coach Kim Sang-sik.
Following their bid for a treble in 2025, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) is urgently negotiating a new contract with coach Kim Sang-sik, not only increasing his salary but also redefining his strategic role for bigger goals.
The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) is preparing to take decisive steps to extend the contract of coach Kim Sang-sik, who has led to a historic 2025 for Vietnamese football. This move is considered urgent given that his current contract expires in March 2026 and his success has attracted international attention.
A historic treble and a spectacular transformation.
In just one year, coach Kim Sang-sik became the first manager to bring three major titles to Vietnamese football. He revived a team in crisis after a seven-match losing streak under his predecessor Philippe Troussier, transforming skepticism into absolute confidence.
The achievements of the teams under Kim's leadership are incredibly impressive:
- Vietnam national team:They won the AFF Cup after defeating Thailand in both legs of the final.
- Vietnam U23 team:They became Southeast Asian champions after defeating Indonesia right at Bung Karno Stadium.
- Vietnam U22 team:Winning the SEA Games gold medal, he once again overcame his arch-rival Thailand.
This transformation stems not only from the results but also from the dedicated, passionate style of play and the team spirit he has rebuilt, thereby restoring the fans' faith.
Success is proven by the numbers.
The South Korean strategist's performance is demonstrated by compelling statistics. His win rate at the national team level is 86.7%, while this figure is an absolute 100% at the U23 level. Besides championships, he has also excelled in other professional objectives, guiding the team towards qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup and the 2026 U23 Asian Championship.
With his current salary of $20,000 per month, Coach Kim Sang-sik's resounding success has made him a target for many international federations and clubs. Although he has expressed a desire to stay, the VFF understands that it needs to act quickly to retain this "chief architect."
New contract: Elevating strategy for the future.
The new contract is expected to be not only a well-deserved financial reward but also a crucial strategic move. Experts believe that the VFF needs to redefine Coach Kim's role so that he can focus on bigger goals.
Therefore, Mr. Kim should be relieved of some of his duties in regional youth tournaments such as the SEA Games or the U23 Southeast Asian Championship. This responsibility could be assigned to other coaches, similar to the model applied to coaches Gong Oh-kyun and Hoang Anh Tuan previously. This would allow him to focus all his efforts on the national team, aiming for continental competitions such as the Asian Cup and, further, the 2030 World Cup Qualifiers. This is considered a crucial step for Vietnamese football to truly reach Asian standards after conquering titles in Southeast Asia.
