Coach Kim Sang Sik wants Vietnamese players to follow Công Phượng's example

Following notable successes in Vietnamese football in the last ten years, Vietnam’s head coach Kim Sang Sik has candidly expressed his opinions regarding the sustainable development route.

Coach Kim Sang Sik believes that Vietnam’s football success stems from a solid youth training foundation, unlike some Southeast Asian football systems that heavily rely on naturalizing players. He emphasized that Vietnam must stay committed to developing local talent and set ambitious goals like the World Cup, even though it is a lengthy and challenging journey.

Coach Kim Sang Sik shared on the morning of December 22nd: “We must always aim high, such as for the World Cup. Currently, many Southeast Asian countries naturalize players. For Vietnam, we focus on nurturing and training good players to serve the national team.”

Notably, the Korean strategist frankly pointed out a reality: all Vietnamese players currently play domestically, mainly in the V-League. According to him, this is a major limitation compared to more developed football nations in the region and Asia.

Coach Kim Sang Sik stressed: “Right now, all Vietnamese players are playing in the V-League. I hope players can go abroad to develop themselves better, thereby strengthening the national team.”

In the past, Vietnamese football saw waves of players moving abroad, such as Lê Huỳnh Đức, Lê Công Vinh, the first generation of HAGL like Nguyễn Công Phượng, Lương Xuân Trường, Nguyễn Tuấn Anh, Nguyễn Văn Toàn, and other notable names like Đặng Văn Lâm, Đoàn Văn Hậu, Nguyễn Quang Hải. Although most of these players did not make a major professional impact overseas, they gained valuable experience, mindset, and competitive resilience.

Nguyễn Công Phượng has played for four foreign clubs, spanning Japan, South Korea, and Belgium, before returning to Vietnam. Lương Xuân Trường competed in the K-League and Thai League, helping Buriram United perform impressively in the AFC Champions League. Đặng Văn Lâm became the first Vietnamese goalkeeper to start a full season in the Thai League, then moved on to J-League 1. Meanwhile, Đoàn Văn Hậu and Nguyễn Quang Hải also played in Europe, despite facing adaptation challenges.

In fact, the absence of any Vietnamese players abroad after Công Phượng left Yokohama FCis seen as a worrying sign by experts. According to Coach Kim Sang Sik, although going abroad is not easy, it remains a necessary step for Vietnamese players to improve their level, especially as regional football competition becomes increasingly fierce.