Coach Park Hang-seo officially bid farewell to the national team, looking back on the glorious 5-year journey of Vietnamese football

The 0-1 defeat in the second leg of the AFF Cup 2022 final made Coach Park Hang-seo unable to say goodbye to the Vietnamese team. Many young people expressed that with his dedication to Vietnamese football, Mr. Park deserves a better farewell.

Appearing at the press conference after the AFF Cup 2022 final second leg, coach Park Hang Seo sadly said: "I would like to congratulate the Thai team and my colleague Mano Polking.

I wanted to win Thailand with the Vietnamese team as a farewell gift to the fans, but I couldn't. I'm very sorry about that."

Mr. Park took full responsibility for this defeat and defended the players: "I am not qualified, so today's results are not satisfactory. The players have tried their best, don't criticize them, Especially today, the whole team has to be under pressure when playing away from home."

Coach Park Hang Seo was touched when looking back on the journey of leading the Vietnamese team from 2017 to now: "In the past 5 years, I have been greatly encouraged and encouraged. I think I am still a coach with many shortcomings. , I always try my best every game.

The regret is that I will no longer accompany the player. We have experienced many joys and sorrows over the past 5 years. It's heartbreaking not to be with my players anymore."

Regarding the future after parting with the Vietnamese team, Mr. Park revealed: "My personality is not to think much about other things while doing work. But now, the AFF Cup has ended and my contract is over. also closed".

Sharing about the most memorable memories with Vietnamese football, Coach Park said: "Those are the moments when I live and play with the players in the medical room of the team.

I always have fond memories and regrets in my mind. I blamed myself for not being able to win and I didn't know what I was missing. Breakup is when we have to change many things and learn to bear the pain.

I want to comfort those I have hurt. I know I'm flawed, but there's nothing I can do. I have to cry for my own pain. Anyway, I still have to move on," the 65-year-old strategist confided before ending the press conference.

One day in October 2017, the Vietnamese media was shocked when the news about the new head coach of the Vietnamese department suddenly appeared. When the name Park Hang Seo was announced, many reporters were eager to find out, and then... disappointed!

Information about "Park zombie" was quite meager at that time because most of his career was only associated with little-known football teams in the First Division (K-League 2) or Second Division (K-League 3) of the Korea.

A few readers called to the editorial office and asked: "Who is this man?", "Is this man as good as Mr. Riedl, Mr. Callisto? Why not invite that coach again?"...

It can be used for the disappointment of many fans with VFF's choice. Not long ago, Thailand invited the famous coach Milovan Rajevac - who brought Ghana to the quarterfinals of the World Cup.

Mr. Park was also an adult at that time, he had just turned 60 at that time. His appearance was not eye-catching, and he had a habit of closing his eyes as if he were asleep (he was nicknamed "Sleeping One"). no one expected that he would create completely new chapters for Vietnamese football.

The suspicion that fans had for Mr. Park quickly disappeared, when he led U23 Vietnam to defeat the Thai rival in the M-150 Cup friendly tournament, thereby creating a night step towards the U23 European Championship. Asia history took place not long after that.

Right at the first tournament, Mr. Park started to help Vietnamese players overcome their inferiority complex when they faced opponents who were more than level-headed.

There is no unending party. Five years have passed in the blink of an eye, with a series of big and small prizes, with great adventures, breaking moments, hugs to celebrate the victory.

The reign of coach Park Hang Seo, in general, can be affirmed as the most successful in the history of Vietnamese football. That effort, although not only Mr. Park's, but what we must recognize are the lessons he brought.

Mr. Park was the rare person to maintain an interesting communication in the press room by shaking hands with all the reporters in turn. A gesture may be small, but contributes to creating a happy atmosphere for all.

He is also a rare foreign coach who maintains a close relationship with Vietnamese players. For example, there was a lion who himself ... applied a skin care mask for Trong Hoang, or often teased his students.

And perhaps it is also from that method of forging troops that "eat the same tray, sleep with the same move" that Vietnamese players always do their best when they go out on the field, even though sometimes their coaches come up with really bold solutions.

Before coming to Vietnam, Mr. Park's career was especially when he worked as an assistant to coach Guus Hiddink, together creating a great legacy of the Korean team in the 2002 World Cup.

The grace that Hiddink created in Korea to this day is still being circulated, because he brings lessons about culture, how to behave in the working environment, breaking habits, determined to be lonely...

Only Vietnamese people have the habit of calling coaches in the sports world a dead body. And in the case of Coach Park Hang Seo, the two words "Park corpse" make even more sense!

In the past 5 years, he helped Vietnam win the AFF Cup 2018. Next, at the 2019 Asian Cup, Vietnam reached the quarterfinals. With Coach Park Hang Seo, Vietnam Tel reaches out as a potential team in Asia. The first appearance in the final qualifying round of the World Cup is a big step that the S-shaped country's football has, under the "miracle" of Coach Park Hang Seo.

Not stopping at the first appearance, Vietnam Tel also received a lot of praise when it won 4 points in the final qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup, when they defeated China with a score of 3-1 and drew 1-1 before. Japan right on the opponent's field. Along with that, Coach Park Hang Seo also created many impressive milestones. He helped Vietnamese football win Japan for the first time in an official tournament (ASIAD 2018); won Indonesia for the first time in the AFF Cup after 26 years or had the heaviest victory in history against Thailand U23 (4-0).

Coach Kim Sang-sik "defeated" the fear of Thailand, did one thing and won the championship 3-2? Phạm Đông14:37:28 11/01/2025The 3-2 victory (5-3 aggregate) over Thailand in the 2024 AFF Cup final not only brought the championship to Vietnam but also marked an important psychological turning point. For the first time in many years, the fear of Thailand was erased.