Coach Kim Sang Sik connects with Vietnamese players with ginseng and cosmetics

On August 5, Coach Kim Sang Sik shared that small gifts such as ginseng and cosmetics helped him create a bond with Vietnamese players, a factor that contributed to the U23 Southeast Asian championship.

Coach Kim Sang Sik - Photo: YONHAP

According to Yonhap News Agency, in an online press conference on August 5, coach Kim Sang Sik shared that he knew that Vietnamese players really like Korean ginseng, so he personally brought it from Korea to give to the players.

Mr. Kim revealed that he also gave the players cosmetics and sunscreen.

“I took the initiative to create closeness and they seemed to sense that goodwill. Maybe they also liked the way I built the connection,” Mr. Kim said.

Coach Kim is currently leading both the national team and the Vietnam U-23 team.

After leading the Vietnamese team to win the Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 in January, Mr. Kim continued to help the U-23 Vietnam team win the Southeast Asian U23 Championship at the end of July.

Yonhap commented that coach Kim Sang Sik is considered the "new hero" of Vietnamese football with the miracle named "Kim Sang Sik".

“I try to connect with them in daily life. I joke around in the treatment room, even imitating Coach Park Hang Seo to create laughter. The word 'jeong' in Korean means 'love' in 'affection' - pronounced similar to the word 'love' in Vietnamese. Korean and Vietnamese cultures are quite similar, so it is easy for us to open up and understand each other,” Mr. Kim shared the secret to creating a bond with Vietnamese players.

Also according to Yonhap, succeeding coach Park Hang Seo - who is considered a Vietnamese football legend, put a lot of pressure on Mr. Kim in the beginning.

“Coach Park is a hero of Vietnamese football. I am not trying to imitate him, but I just think that I should not harm the achievements he left behind,” Mr. Kim added.

Despite admitting the pressure when fans have high expectations for the U-23 Asian Cup (September), the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers (October - November) and the SEA Games (December), Mr. Kim is still determined to win the championship in this tournament.

Talking about coach Shin Tae Yong being fired from the Indonesian team in January, Mr. Kim humorously said: “If he had stayed, it would have been harder for us to beat Indonesia. Luckily, he left early.”

At the same time, he wished coach Shin success if he takes on a new role at Ulsan HD club.

Coach Kim led Jeonbuk Hyundai from 2021 but resigned in mid-2023 due to poor performance.

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Trieu Phuong

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hlv-kim-sang-sik-ket-noi-voi-cau-thu-viet-bang-nhan-sam-va-my-pham-20250805140132968.htm