Football

Hà Nội FC players celebrate their second goal in the 2-0 win over Hà Tĩnh on November 13. Hà Nội will field a strong line-up against Hoàng Anh Gia Lai this weekend. Photo courtesy of VPF

HÀ NỘI — Champions Hà Nội FC will field their strongest team to play Hoàng Anh Gia Lai FC in their last match of the season on Saturday even though the result of the game will not affect their final position.

Hà Nội secured their sixth title last weekend after beating Hà Tĩnh 2-0 at home. They were crowned champions with one game in spare. Hoàng Anh Gia Lai are already safe in the upper part of the table.

Coach Chun Jae-ho on Wednesday revealed the list of players that will travel to Pleiku City. Among the players are young striker Phạm Tuấn Hải who received an award for the best player of October, defender Đoàn Văn Hậu who has returned strongly after injury and midfielder Goncalves Silva Lucas Vinicius who has scored eight goals this season.

Captain Nguyễn Văn Quyết who suffered a knee injury earlier this month is also named after the veteran striker recovered faster than expected. His return will be a strong push for the team in both spirit and strength. Before his injury, he scored nine goals and five assists from 21 matches in all competitions this season.

After the V.League 1 games, the two sides will play each other four days later in the semi-final of the National Cup, also at the Pleiku Stadium.

The matches are important to coach Chun whose contract will expire at the end of the year.

The South Korean has taken the hot seat for almost nine months. Chun, the first foreign coach to manage Hà Nội, believed that if it was not for him the club might not have won the title.

He will sit down with Hà Nội boss and discuss the contract later this month so the result of the November 19 and November 23 games may decide his future.

A close source to Hà Nội said that the champions are working with three agents seeking qualified coaches from Europe, Japan and South America. They are required to have experienced at the AFC Champions League and pursue the philosophy of attacking football.

Hoàng Anh Gia Lai will now focus on the National Cup and Hà Nội are a big obstacle in their way.

The hosts will not have their talented striker Nguyễn Công Phượng who suffered a groin injury on November 5 in a match against SHB Đà Nẵng.

He is asked to rest until the end of the season. To date, Phượng has netted five goals, second best in his club, although he did not feature regularly.

Coach Kiatisuk Senamunang will also end his contact with the former champions on January 19, 2023.

Both sides have not discussed an extension but rumours suggest that Italian legend Roberto Donadoni is interested in taking charge.

Donadoni is free agent after he left Shenzhen FC of China in 2020. He coached the Italian national team at the Euro 2008.

The Thai coach said everything had to wait until after the end of the season.

"Previously, I told boss Đức that I would come to help Hoàng Anh Gia Lai for two years. Now it is coming to the end. I will talk with him as well as members of my family when the season was over," he said.

The match between Hoàng Anh Gia Lai and Hà Nội will be from 5pm and live aired on VTV5 Tây Nam Bộ, VTV5 Tây Nguyên, VTVcab ON and Next Sports. VNS