Chen Yun Fat, who recently led the Vietnamese women’s national football team to the championship of the Southeast Asian Games 2009, suddenly said farewell to the team.

Before the coach returned home in February for the Tet holiday, he agreed to sign a new one-year contract with the VFF. He promised to come back Vietnam in early March to watch the National Women’s Football Championship, which took place March 8 in Ha Nam province, and to choose new players for the national squad to attend the Asian Cup 2010 in China from May 19-30.

The coach didn’t return and recently announced he must say goodbye to the Vietnamese squad because the Dailian Football Federation (China) has asked him to train young players. The coach will retire in 2011 and he wishes to be a government employee at the Dailian Football Federation to enjoy a retirement pension.

The VFF Chair Nguyen Trong Hy was very surprised with Chen Yun Fat’s decision, saying that it would have a huge impact on the Vietnamese women’s squad because Asian Cup 2010 is very near.

The federation is seeking a new coach. Chen Yun Fat agreed to seek a new Chinese coach for the team. VFF will temporarily use three assistants of Chen Yun Fat’s for the national women’s team.

Chen Yun Fat started working with the team in 2007 and has been praised as a good coach who helped Vietnam win the gold medal at the SEA Games 2009 in Laos.

PV