Coach Mai Duc Chung has been associated with Vietnamese football for a long time, from the position of player, men's football coach (having led the Vietnam men's football team, Binh Duong Club and Navibank Saigon in the V-League), women's football coach (Vietnam women's football team), to the position of manager (former Head of the football department, under the Vietnam Sports and Physical Training Department).
Having gone through many changes with domestic football for a long time, Coach Mai Duc Chung clearly understands the importance of the media to the country's football. In addition, Mr. Chung also recounted his own memories with the Vietnamese women's football team with Dan Tri newspaper.
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Dan Tri electronic newspaper, this respected 73-year-old coach took time to chat with us.
Coach Mai Duc Chung is the one who guides the Vietnamese female players (Photo: Hai Long).
Vietnamese football cannot be separated from media activities.
How do you evaluate the role of the press in the development of Vietnamese football in recent years?
- In my personal opinion, the press in general always follows all activities of social life. The press reflects all aspects of society. You always provide timely information, bringing activities of life closer to readers, so that readers can be updated with daily movements of society.
With Vietnamese football, the media is also as close as that. The movement of Vietnamese football in recent years has always been accompanied by the media. The media helps fans understand more about the current situation and the progress of domestic football.
The media also conveys the joys and sorrows of domestic football to fans, contributing significantly to bringing fans and the Vietnamese football community closer together.
Regarding Vietnamese women's football, how do you evaluate the role of the press?
- With women's football, the role of the press is especially important. Vietnamese women's football is much more difficult than its male counterparts. The difficult time for women's football is also the time when the media sympathizes with the girls who play football the most and supports us the most.
Vietnamese women's football always receives support from domestic media (Photo: Khoa Nguyen).
Through the press, women's football managers, professionals and those who want to build women's football in the country are able to express their thoughts and feelings. These are the feelings of players, coaches and those who want to see Vietnamese women's football develop.
The lives and incomes of female players are reported by the press to everyone, from which people understand more about the lives of female soccer players. When people understand the lives of female players, they will always worry and look for solutions to help female players improve their lives.
The press conveys the pride that women's football has won to fans
On the contrary, it is the female players and women's football that help Vietnamese fans have more pride?
- In this regard, I would also like to thank the domestic press. It is the media that conveys the proud achievements of Vietnamese women's football to readers nationwide, so that fans everywhere can see how well our female football players have achieved in the international arena.
Thanks to the press, the hard days and then the glory of the female soccer players were conveyed very truthfully to fans across the country. Through that, fans saw how hard the female players worked, what steps they took to achieve success.
The media helps Vietnamese football fans get information about their opponents (Photo: Khoa Nguyen).
Unforgettable memories with Dan Tri newspaper
Regarding Dan Tri newspaper, do you have any special and memorable memories? Between Vietnamese women's football and the Vietnamese women's team, what kind of mutual relationship has there been over the years?
- Speaking of which, I would like to express my special thanks to readers nationwide in general and readers of Dan Tri newspaper in particular. Dear readers and the newspaper have always supported us wholeheartedly in all circumstances.
I remember the times when Dan Tri newspaper reporters and the Vietnamese women's football team, along with myself, fought side by side at major Southeast Asian and Asian sports events, even at times when our female football players were not as attractive as they are now.
Coach Mai Duc Chung had an online exchange with Dan Tri newspaper right at the 32nd SEA Games in 2023 held in Cambodia (Photo: Manh Quan).
Your newspaper's reporters closely follow the team's activities, thereby promptly conveying information to readers nationwide and fans nationwide. Thanks to their close relationship with Vietnamese women's football, Dan Tri reporters understand the lives of female players, their aspirations and achievements.
What are some memorable memories you and Vietnamese women's football have had with Dan Tri newspaper reporters, over the past journey?
- I also remember the times when I joined the members of the Vietnamese women's football team in online exchanges with Dan Tri newspaper after international tournaments. Notable among these were the online exchanges held abroad, such as at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines, at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia, and the emotional online interviews after we won tickets to the 2023 Women's World Cup.
I can say that Dan Tri reporters are closely involved in the activities of the national team, closely involved in the activities of Vietnamese women's football, so the information that Dan Tri reporters convey to everyone is always quick and accurate, promptly touching people's hearts. From there, this information creates pride in the hearts of fans of Vietnamese women's football.
On this occasion, I would like to wish Dan Tri newspaper to always be steadfast on the upcoming journey!
Thank you for the interview and I wish you good health!
Coach Mai Duc Chung was born in 1951 in Hanoi . He played football as a player from 1975-1984. From 1984 to present, Mr. Mai Duc Chung has been a coach.
Mr. Chung led the Vietnam U23 team from 2007-2008, led the Vietnam men's football team in 2017, in the role of interim coach. Coach Mai Duc Chung has coached the Vietnam women's football team from 2016 to present.
Coach Mai Duc Chung won the V-League 2015 with Binh Duong Club, won the National Cup 2011 (with Navibank Saigon Club) and 2015 (with Binh Duong), won the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia in 2008 with the Vietnam U22 team.
Together with the Vietnamese women's football team, Coach Mai Duc Chung has won 6 SEA Games Gold Medals in 2003, 2005, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023. He won the Southeast Asian women's football championship in 2019 and placed 4th at the Asian Games in 2014.
In 2023, Coach Mai Duc Chung will lead the Vietnamese women's football team to the World Cup in New Zealand and Australia. He holds the record as the oldest coach to ever attend a World Cup (including both men's and women's football). At that time, Mr. Chung was nearly 72 years old.
In 2025, Coach Mai Duc Chung was awarded the title of Hero of Labor in the renovation period, for his outstanding achievements and important contributions to the country's development. Previously, in 2019, Coach Mai Duc Chung received the Second Class Labor Medal.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/hlv-mai-duc-chung-chia-se-ky-niem-kho-quen-ve-bao-dan-tri-20250613010611502.htm
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