Coach Kim Sang-sik: ‘If you can’t teach players, you should quit’

Coach Kim Sang-sik: ‘I cried…’

Coach Kim Sang-sik has returned to work in Vietnam, after proactively shortening his vacation from Korea. Mr. Kim wants to take advantage of the time to go to the stadium to watch V-League matches to select new players, and at the same time plan with the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying campaign.

Taking advantage of the silence before the 2025 Lunar New Year, on YouTube Bgent, coach Kim Sang-sik opened up about his feelings after winning the AFF Cup 2024 with the Vietnamese team. But for him, to this day, the feeling is recovery is still intact.

“How does it feel to win a championship? It’s definitely happiness. I’m so happy that it’s hard to express my emotions in words. I tried to suppress myself and stay calm throughout.” journey. This is my first time being the head coach of a national team. I understand I have to keep a cool head for every match.

So, when the final whistle blew for the second leg of the final against Thailand, I felt like I was relieved of an invisible pressure to find a moment of peace and quiet. Looking at the members of the Vietnamese team celebrating, or witnessing a large number of Vietnamese fans cheering, I cried. My agent also cried. We, the men, were in tears. That was also the rare time after many years that I cried,” Coach Kim Sang-sik confided.

Coach Kim Sang-sik only needed 6 months of training to win his first title with the Vietnamese team. At the AFF Cup 2024, Mr. Kim and his team defeated strong teams such as Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia to touch the Southeast Asian throne for the third time.

From taking over a team that was in decline in both form and spirit, the Korean coach created a winning team. The Vietnamese team became the first team to win 7 matches on the way to the throne, and also had their first away championship when they defeated Thailand in the second leg of the final.

“I inherited the path that Coach Park Hang-seo walked. When I came here, I was always concerned with the question of how to make the Vietnamese team even stronger. I want to lead this team to greatness. reveal victory.

I have been trying step by step. I sought advice from Coach Park Hang-seo. I am interested in what each coach at each club as well as V-League fans share. I listen and talk to the players every day. Until now, I still do that,” coach Kim Sang-sik shared about his habit of opening his heart to everyone to receive new things.

Want to invite Son Heung-min to eat pho

Coach Kim Sang-sik also opened up about his tough coaching perspective: “I think as a head coach, don’t think that you have to try to teach the players or everyone around you. That’s obvious and common. day that every coach must fulfill. If you can’t meet that goal, or have to work hard to achieve that goal, then it’s best for you to quit. A person like that should no longer be a football coach.

From my perspective, I want to bring smiles to everyone. I believe that players and associates will perform better if they are in a comfortable and happy mood.”

During his playing days, Mr. Kim Sang-sik was the top defensive midfielder in Korean football with 378 matches after 13 years of playing at the club level. Switching to coaching, he quickly achieved success with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors by winning the 2021 K-League and 2022 Korean FA Cup. Mr. Kim also only needed half a year to win the 2024 AFF Cup with the Vietnamese team.

According to coach Kim Sang-sik, the key to success lies in the mental factor, when the head coach needs to bring positive energy to his students. “In training, I want to be a tiger lion. I want to maintain a strict demeanor on the practice field and matches. But on the sidelines of life, I believe that it is my job to bring smiles to my players and colleagues.” will create a close atmosphere for everyone.

As I said from the beginning, always creating an exciting atmosphere is essential. Don’t prepare dry things like 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 tactical diagrams. What you need to do is give the players a source of positive energy. I believe that will lead to success,” Mr. Kim shared.

The Korean coach also evaluated his students: “In Vietnam, there are many promising players. However, they need to make more efforts to develop themselves to play football in Korea. Story of experience and bravery.” is an important factor. They need to prove themselves strong enough to be ready to play for any team in the K-League.”

Finally, when asked if given a choice, who would Mr. Kim want to play for the Vietnamese team, the Korean coach replied: “Of course Son Heung-min. If Son comes to Vietnam, I will invite him to dinner.” pho. I will help Son Heung-min accompany the Vietnamese team. Surely, he will make many impressions.”