Ninh Binh Club 'plays big'
With a squad full of talented players such as Dang Van Lam, Nguyen Hoang Duc, Dinh Thanh Binh, Nguyen Quoc Viet, Nguyen Huu Tuan... Ninh Binh Club easily won the first division with 19 wins and 1 draw.
However, the gap between the V-League and the first division is not small. In the 2023-2024 season, Da Nang Club won the first division with an overwhelming record: winning 13/20 matches, 7 points more than the second-placed team. But when stepping up to the V-League, the Han River team was "overwhelmed" with only 4 points after 11 matches, and then struggled to compete for relegation until the final round.
Therefore, the ambition towards V-League 2025 - 2026 has been prepared by Ninh Binh Club since the first division season has not yet ended. Coach Gerard Albadalejo is the chosen one.
Coach Gerard Albadalejo has 12 years of coaching in Spain
PHOTO: NVCC
The Spanish strategist does not have an attractive resume, having mainly worked at Spanish second division teams such as Lleida Esportiu (2017-2019), Orihuela (2019-2021), Esportiu Europa (2022), Atletico Saguntino (2022-2023) and Badalona II (2023-2024)...
However, the plus point of coach Gerard Albadalejo is his eagerness to learn. He studied Vietnamese football for 2 months before accepting the invitation to Ninh Binh to build a new "empire" in the V-League. Coach Gerard Albadalejo also has a philosophy of ball control, technical and ornate passing, and fast and effective attacks that are typical of Spanish football.
At Ninh Binh Club, Coach Gerard Albadalejo is supported by 5 assistants: assistant coach, fitness coach, goalkeeping coach, performance analyst and recovery specialist. The recruitment of a strong team for Mr. Albadalejo shows a "tacit" commitment to stick with the Spanish coach from Ninh Binh Club for a long time.
Need perseverance
Ninh Binh Club has recruited midfielder Duc Chien. Along with that, there are 3 HAGL factors including Bao Toan, Quang Nho and Ngoc Quang. There will be more national players and former national players contacted to join Ninh Binh.
However, not all foreign coaches and star-studded squads will be successful. As mentioned, V-League is different from the first division. There are always at least 4 ambitious teams competing for the title, including Hanoi, The Cong Viettel , Hanoi Police Club (CAHN Club) and current champion Nam Dinh.
High competition requires teams to have a good foundation in terms of personnel, style of play and team organization. These factors will not come after just 1 or 2 years, but need time to form and cultivate. Coach Albadalejo alone is not enough. This is a total team effort.
Ninh Binh Club has many stars
PHOTO: NINH BINH CLUB
At the same time, the matches in V-League are always fierce. Coach Velizar Popov once said "I have never seen a Southeast Asian tournament as difficult to win as V-League", when the matches are physically demanding, the bad pitch makes it difficult to play the ball, not to mention many non-professional factors.
In the past 10 years, only 2 foreign coaches have won titles in Vietnam (only counting V-League and National Cup). That is Mr. Chun Jae-ho with the double championship of V-League and National Cup 2022, and Coach Popov with 2 National Cups (2023, 2023 - 2024).
While Mr. Chun already has a deep squad and a set style of play at Hanoi Club, Coach Popov took over Thanh Hoa's squad, although it has few stars, it is united, progressive and close-knit.
Coach Popov's success is a worthy example for Coach Albadalejo to refer to. Mr. Popov understands that with the quality of Thanh Hoa Club's players and the V-League pitch, building a style of play that controls the ball and passes the ball is impossible. The Bulgarian coach chooses a physical style of play, focusing on pressing and lightning-fast attacks.
With a strong squad in Ninh Binh, coach Albadalejo probably doesn't need to "cut his coat according to his cloth". However, to be successful in the V-League, he must adapt well to the situation and read the game well. At the same time, the new coach of Ninh Binh needs to be given time to build a philosophy. No success will come overnight.
Ninh Binh Club's ambition and coach Albadalejo's talent will make V-League more worth watching next season.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-tay-ban-nha-can-gi-de-thanh-cong-o-doi-dai-gia-ninh-binh-185250629101053246.htm
Comment (0)