Vietnam football coach Park Hang-seo and his assistant Lee Young-jin (L). Photo by VnExpress/Duc Dong
South Korean assistant coach of the men’s football team, Lee Young-jin, will lead Vietnam’s U22 team at the SEA Games 2019.
The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has accepted head coach Park Hang-seo’s recommendation in order to reduce the latter’s workload.
Park said his assistant Lee has the “full ability and confidence” to take charge of the U22 team for the upcoming tournament held in Philippines in November.
VFF’s decision will allow Park to focus on the national team that will compete in the World Cup 2022 qualification tournament. He will still work with the U22 team as an advisor during the training process.
The federation has three main 2019 targets for Vietnamese football: qualify for AFC U23 2020 and World Cup 2022; and win SEA Games 30 this year.
According to the contract with VFF, Park Hang-seo is supposed to coach both senior and youth teams to participate in these tournaments. However, because the World Cup 2022 qualification tournament and the SEA Games will both take place in November, Park has requested that he is allowed to focus on the WC qualification and let assistant Lee take charge of the U22 team for SEA Games.
“I believe Lee Young-jin will do a great job. He has worked very hard and proved himself in the past tournaments,” Park said.
Lee has participated in two World Cup, 1990 and 1994, with South Korea national team as a player. He started coaching in 1997. Lee’s role has been vital to Park, as he has been described by Park as his “second brain” in the recent success of Vietnamese football.