Coach Kim does not want to overshadow the legacy of Mr. Park Hang-seo

Coach Kim Sang-sik affirmed that he came to Vietnam not to surpass coach Park Hang-seo, but to inherit and develop the legacy left by his predecessor.

Coach Kim Sang-sik wants to inherit and develop the legacy of Coach Park Hang-seo. Photo: Hai Ho .

"I am the second Korean coach to lead the Vietnamese team, which shows that Korean coaches are truly capable. But I have no intention of surpassing coach Park Hang-seo. His success in Vietnam is indisputable. He changed the history of Vietnamese football," coach Kim Sang-sik shared with the Korean media on the afternoon of August 5.

After winning the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, Coach Kim Sang-sik spoke frankly about the pressure, responsibility and direction of leading Vietnamese football. He emphasized that he did not set a goal to surpass what Coach Park Hang-seo had done.

The strategist born in 1976 said he always respected the values left by his predecessor, and at the same time told himself to preserve the image and legacy of Coach Park Hang-seo. "I never thought of surpassing him. I just always thought that I must not harm the achievements that Coach Park Hang-seo left behind," he added.

Helping Vietnam U23 win the Southeast Asian Championship for the third consecutive time is an impressive achievement for the Korean coach since taking office. However, he admitted that this success also brings a lot of pressure. “Every victory brings great emotions, but it also comes with increasing expectations from fans and the Vietnam Football Federation. I have to carefully calculate from tactics, physical strength to psychological factors to best prepare the players,” he shared.

Coach Kim Sang-sik's most memorable achievement is winning the 2024 ASEAN Cup. Photo: Hai Ho.

For Mr. Kim, the most memorable thing since coming to Vietnam is winning the ASEAN Cup 2024 championship with the national team: “That was an unforgettable moment. The team also received sponsorship from a Korean company. I told myself I had to win the championship again.”

The Korean coach also revealed how to build cohesion in the team. It starts with small things like visiting the treatment room, joking with the players, and bringing ginseng from Korea as gifts. Coach Kim Sang-sik believes that Vietnamese players have many similarities with Koreans in terms of emotions and the most important thing in training is communication and closeness.

He also said that he learned a lot from the young players in the Vietnam U23 team and saw this as an opportunity to build a successor force for the national team. “The key to success in Southeast Asia is knowing how to communicate. If you can do that, you can coach well in any country,” coach Kim Sang-sik affirmed.

Source: https://znews.vn/hlv-kim-khong-muon-lam-lu-mo-di-san-cua-ong-park-hang-seo-post1574486.html