Coach Thanh Hóa expresses frustration over the team's personnel situation

Coach Mai Xuân Hợp opened up with some unfortunate comments regarding the current team roster at Đông Á Thanh Hóa Football Club.

Đông Á Thanh Hóa secured a commendable draw against the reigning champions Thép Xanh Nam Định in the 12th round of the V-League. However, alongside the exciting on-field battle with back-and-forth action between the two teams, the issue of Thanh Hóa’s severe shortage of players also attracted significant attention.

Specifically, in the recent match, the Thanh Hóa team registered only 17 players, a very modest number compared to the requirements of a professional match. Notably, there were only 6 substitutes on the bench, including 2 goalkeepers, leaving the coaching staff effectively with only 4 options for outfield substitutions.

Despite this, Coach Mai Xuân Hợp sincerely thanked the entire team, even though some players were not in their best physical condition. After the game, he stated: "In the face of countless difficulties, what makes me most proud is the unity, fighting spirit, and identity of the people of Thanh Hóa. Today’s lineup included players who are not originally from Thanh Hóa, yet they willingly sacrificed, putting aside financial difficulties, living conditions, and personal circumstances to play with the highest spirit. To me, that is truly remarkable.

I want to express my deepest gratitude to the whole team, both those who played on the field and those who couldn’t. We went out there with only 13 or 14 players, but the dedication shown by everyone is highly admirable. Some had twisted ankles, some had high fevers, some had knee pain, yet they still took the field."

Additionally, the 1986-born coach did not hesitate to call for support from sponsors to help the team overcome the current difficulties.

He added: "Everyone knows that Đông Á Thanh Hóa Club is facing significant financial challenges following recent incidents. Therefore, I earnestly hope to receive attention and assistance from sponsors, provincial leaders, departments, especially the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, so the club can get through this tough period.

This is an urgent matter because we really do not have much time left. On February 8th, the team will face Công an TP.HCM, and with such a thin squad, I am not confident the players can maintain this level of spirit and fitness."

After the draw with Nam Định, Thanh Hóa temporarily sits in 12th place on the standings with 9 points, just slightly ahead of the bottom two teams PVF-CAND and Đà Nẵng by 1 and 2 points respectively.