Coach Viet Thang has an opportunity to demonstrate his capability.

The club Truong Tuoi Dong Nai has retained Coach Nguyen Viet Thang for the 2026/27 V-League season. This serves both as a prize for achieving promotion and as recognition of his competence, yet he must await time to confirm that this choice is the right one.

At 45 years old, fans still habitually call Coach Nguyen Viet Thang by his nickname Thang "Be", but now it is time for the former striker of Vietnam's golden generation to be regarded as a true coach.

For many years, Coach Viet Thang has always been in the background alongside others. He worked in youth training at PVF, served as an assistant to various coaches in Da Nang, and collaborated with Coach Philippe Troussier for the Vietnam national team.

He has learned a great deal and accumulated extensive experience, yet he has rarely had the chance to independently determine a V-League team's destiny.

That is what makes the journey ofCoach Viet Thangdifferent from many teammates of the same generation. While some former national players were handed hot seats early in the V-League, he took a slower, more deliberate path. But it is those very experiences that have allowed him to accumulate so much.

The past two years have been the clearest proof. The coach born in 1981 led Ninh Binh to the First Division title with an almost flawless record, then helped Truong Tuoi Dong Nai earn promotion in his very first season in charge. Two different teams, two different environments, yet the same result.

However, the First Division and the V-League are two entirely different worlds. Coach Viet Thang himself admitted that he went through over 40 "finals" in two consecutive years, often feeling pressured to the point of exhaustion and depression.

But those pressures still cannot be compared to the V-League environment, where the gap in quality between strong teams is enormous.

Dong Nai will enter the upcoming season as newcomers. Despite dominating the First Division this season, they are still regarded as a mid-table or bottom-tier side in the V-League. Ahead lie formidable opponents such as Cong An Ha Noi, The Cong Viettel, Ninh Binh, Hanoi FC, and other ambitious clubs.

That will be the greatest test in Coach Viet Thang's managerial career. Last season, after guiding Ninh Binh to promotion, he had to leave the team for foreign coach Gerard Albadalejo to take over. Many felt regret because Viet Thang did not get to experiencethe V-Leaguealong with the results he had achieved.

This time it is different. Dong Nai's leadership not only retained him but also placed immense trust in him. Mr. Son (Bau Son) has shown he is willing to invest more heavily so the team can compete at the highest level. Many notable names are already making overtures to the Southeast club with Coach Viet Thang, even before this season has concluded.

The arrival of attractive figures like Cong Phuong, Xuan Truong, and Minh Vuong also promises to helpDong Naibecome one of the most talked-about teams next season.

Of course, having those stars does not guarantee success. What matters is that Coach Viet Thang will have more autonomy in building the team, from personnel choices and shaping playing style to managing the dressing room.

Dong Nai is set to be a venue that draws large crowds, as many are eager to see Cong Phuong and his teammates face numerous domestic football stars. That is the motivation that will strengthen Coach Nguyen Viet Thang.