Coach Harry Kewell openly shared his thoughts after the Lunar New Year break.

Coach Harry Kewell confirmed Hanoi FC’s commitment to giving their best in each game to get closer to the leading pack in the V-League and stated that the Tet holiday break does not impact the players' form.

Hanoi Club officially resumed training on February 20th (the 4th day of Tet), kicking off the second half of the V-League 2025/26 season with high hopes. After 13 rounds, the capital team has earned 21 points, currently sitting fourth in the standings, maintaining a close chase on the top group amid a highly competitive title race.

Under the leadership of Harry Kewell, Hanoi FC has shown significant improvement in the latter half of the first leg. After a shaky start, the team gradually regained their rhythm, closing in on the top contenders including Hanoi Police, Ninh Binh FC, and Viettel Army. However, the points gap still presents a major challenge for their breakthrough ambitions.

Regarding the goals ahead, the Australian coach frankly stated: “No club focuses on just one style of play. In the V-League, we must learn to adapt to different opponents. If we train hard and do our job well, we believe we will achieve positive results.

Closing the gap with the top team is very difficult, possibly even impossible. But we will try in every match. If we perform well enough, Hanoi FC will reach the upper ranks. Therefore, I always push the players to work hard.

The Vietnamese players’ fighting spirit is always very high. What we need to focus on now is preparing for the next three matches. After that, clubs will enter the FIFA international break. This is part of Vietnamese football and there is nothing we can do about it. We will strive to maintain the players’ spirit and fitness at the highest level despite any break.”.

Besides tactical concerns, fitness after the Tet holiday is also a focus. However, Coach Kewell confirmed: “I don’t think the Tet holiday break greatly affects the players’ form and quality. Any V-League player desires to play and will not let celebrating Tet interfere with their career. The most important thing is the feeling of playing.”.

During the New Year training session, Chairman Do Vinh Quang sent his New Year greetings and gave lucky money to the coaching staff and players to encourage the entire team. Hanoi FC’s immediate challenge is the capital derby against Viettel Army at Hang Day Stadium on March 1st — a crucial match in their ambition to close the gap with the top group.