VietNamNet Bridge - After 3 years in jail for match fixing, coach Nguyen Thanh Vinh just signed a two-year contract to manage Hoa Phat Ha Noi, who were relegated to the First Division last year.

Four club managers vied to have your signature but you chose relegated Hoa Phat Ha Noi. Why?

Many people were surprised by my decision, but I had thought about it carefully. Actually, I planned to leave football for a quiet life and do more travelling. Over 30 years in the football course, I haven’t had much time to relax. But after several months in France, Italy and the Netherlands I’d had enough and started missing the sport.

It has become my life and something I can’t give up. So I decided to continue with the real dream of my life.

Many teams came to discuss contracts with me but I chose Hoa Phat because they met my demands. Working in Hoa Phat Ha Noi will be difficult, but I like a good challenge.

Also my family supported my decision so I was very happy to sign with the club.

Hoa Phat are famous for having had a lot of different coaches. Do you feel much pressure from the managers?

No, though I’ve been here for only half a month. I feel very comfortable. We are all aiming for the same thing.

Pressure exists everywhere. Coaching is a stressful career, but I’m delighted that here the managers have a long-term strategy for development, not only seeking results for each year. We want to have a really professional team which has good foundation with talented players. Here I find people who really want to play football and they create the best conditions for me to work.

With your wealth of experience, what will you do for Hoa Phat?

I believe that a coach must have good heart to be successful.

Hoa Phat’s staff is not the strongest and we don’t have very famous players, but here we are making big changes with managers, coaches and players who are ready to live and die for the club.

This season I will add a few players to strengthen the team, like striker Duy Hoang, Tran Nguyen Quang and halfback Nguyen Luong Phuc and some foreigners.

I want to build a good lineup with both local and foreign players.

Have managers asked you to lead Hoa Phat to the V-League next season?

Honestly, I’m not thinking about jumping to the V-League. It may be 2010. My job is to build a really professional team.

Of course, everyone dreams of playing in the nation’s top football league, but we have a lot of challenges to contend with. This year, we will try to be in the top five of the First Division because it is difficult to talk about playing in the V-League at present. But if we play well, success will come.

The national team has been an important part of your life. Do you think you will work with them again?

It is the dream of any person involved in football. I always keep in touch with the team’s progress. It is hard for me to say I will return or not because being a national team coach is not easy, especially as I have had three years off the pitch.

I worked for the team for years, but they didn’t win anything, which made me very sorry. I would like to have enjoyed that once.

The national triumphed at the AFF Suzuki Cup last month. What do you think about the historic victory?

In my opinion, our players are always in high spirits, and aspire for a big victory for the country.

However, coach Henrique Calisto was also an important element in the win. He united the squad and brought into play all their strengths. He also made suitable preparations that helped the team be in peak condition for the tournament.

Luck always goes with victory, but luck is only the spice for it. The main thing was the untiring efforts of Calisto and his players.

(Source: VNS)