Coach Hoang Van Phuc |
When Vietnam lost to Malaysia in early December, Phuc sent his apology to fans, but said that he would not leave his position, so it was a surprise when Phuc announced his resignation on December 23. Currently, he is waiting for approval from the Vietnam Football Federation.
Phuc said he was not thinking clearly during the game with Malaysia. However, and after everything has calmed down, he thought that he needed to leave so the VFF could choose another coach.
"My passion is still there, but I don't feel bad for leaving. I know the Vietnamese team still has a match against Hong Kong in March but I want to withdraw now so that the VFF can make long-term plans," he said.
Phuc went on to say that he is primarily responsible for the U23 team's defeats at the SEA Games this year. The secretary of VFF, Ngo Le Bang, tried to persuade Phuc to stay, but the fate of coach Hoang Van Phuc will be decided after VFF finishes its regular meeting on December 24.
Next year, Vietnam will face up against Hong Kong in a qualification round for the Asian Cup 2015 in My Dinh Stadium. However, many people have said Vietnam will be eliminated based on their five consecutive losses.
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