Kim Sang-sik, Việt Nam national football team's new head coach. — AFP/VNA Photo

Anh Đức

It was the year 2000, in a friendly match on a cold night between local rivals Japan and South Korea.

Park Hang-seo was the Taeguk Warriors' interim coach, and on the other side, the Samurai Blue was under the guidance of Philippe Troussier as manager.

On the field, in the 27th minute, a Japanese striker was through on goal with only the keeper to beat. A Korean defender raced from the back to catch up but failed to stop the striker and had to commit a foul. The defender was then sent off, and the name on the back of his shirt reads "Kim Sang-sik".

They say God works in mysterious ways, and both coaches Park and Troussier, have all been intertwined in Vietnamese football in the last six years. The player, Kim, was recently announced as the next head coach of the Việt Nam national football team.

Kim, born on 17 December 1976, is known as the best defensive midfielder Korea has ever produced, with a no-nonsense playing style. Throughout his career from 1999 to 2013, Kim won the K-League 1 five times and played in the 2006 World Cup.

Kim and Park have a working history, playing for Park when he was Guus Hiddink's assistant manager. Kim is also no stranger to Indonesia's manager Shin Tae-yong, as he played with and under Shin during his time in Seongnam FC.

Kim is known as an emotional and funny man and called 'Sik-sama' by his players. His peers described him as positive who always tried to keep a connected and happy vibe in the team. Kim once posted a picture with Park Ji-sung on his blog, and jokingly asked Sir Alex Ferguson to bring him to Manchester United, saying "I am a good defensive midfielder for a bargain price".

However, Kim was also involved in some controversies during his playing and managerial career. At the 2007 Asian Cup, he broke the team rules and went out drinking with his teammates and was banned from the national team for two years.

The veteran midfielder then changed himself and became more professional, and was called up to the national team in 2012, helping Korea qualify for the 2014 World Cup.

After his retirement, Kim went to France to learn the trade of coaching and completed the AFC Pro Licence in 2020, before being appointed as manager of defending K-League champion Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in 2021.

Achievement-wise, Kim had a great tenure in Jeonbuk, with a K-League championship and a KFA Cup, and was even named K-League 1 best coach in 2021. Fortunes changed for Kim however in 2022, as his team lost the 2022 K-League 1 to rivals Ulsan, and he started the 2023 season dismally.

In a situation reminiscence of Troussier's exit, banners was displayed by Jeonbuk's fans calling for Kim's dismissal, and he resigned in May 4, 2023.

Critics of Kim called his defensive-minded and counter-attack playstyle 'not pretty', and 'very passive'. However, this style might work better in the context of a national team setup with cup competitions, rather than a club playing in a league like Jeonbuk.

Now, exactly one year after his disappointing exit, Kim stepped out of his hiatus to sit in one of Asian football's hottest seats. But he could always look at the last Korean coach for Việt Nam as inspiration: Park had a declining career before his arrival, but gave Việt Nam the biggest football renaissance ever.

And it's better for people to keep asking who Kim is, rather than to give them big nicknames like 'White Wizard' and high hopes for a 'modern' playstyle. I believe that Kim, a man of action, will show the fans who he really is. — VNS