AFF Cup champion Lê Tấn Tài will retire after the 2020 season. Photo zing.vn

HÀ NỘI — 2008 AFF Cup champion Lê Tấn Tài has announced he will retire at the end of the V.League 1 season.

The former national team midfielder is one of three AFF Cup winners from 2008 still competing. The others are Trần Đức Cường (Becamex Bình Dương) and Nguyễn Vũ Phong (Bình Phước).

Khánh Hòa Province-born Tài, 36, joined V.League 1 newcomers Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh from Becamex Bình Dương after the end of the 2019 season and was swiftly installed as captain.

Speaking with media recently Tài said he would retire at the end of the 2020 season even though he believed he could play several years more.

“I will play my best to contribute to Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh. But it will be the last year of my career. There is no chance I will change my decision,” said Tài, who won 54 caps for Việt Nam and scored three goals.

Tài, who received the Bronze Ball awards in 2005 and 2006 as the third-best player of the year, said he would work as a coach after that. He completed an A-certificate coaching course last November.

This year the V.League 1 will begin on March 7 and finish on October 24. — VNS