A 'once-in-a-century' player returns to lead a Vietnamese football team

Former center-back Vũ Như Thành reappears in Vietnamese football, taking on the role of head coach for Quảng Ngãi Club in the 2026 Second Division.

Former center-back Vũ Như Thành has officially returned to Vietnamese football as head coach of Quảng Ngãi Club in the 2026 National Second Division. His appearance immediately captured the attention of fans and experts.

Quảng Ngãi Club's opening match took place on March 29 against Lâm Đồng, marking Vũ Như Thành's first time leading the team from the coaching bench. Quảng Ngãi Stadium was packed with about 7,000 spectators, all eager to witness the "once-in-a-century center-back" guide his players.

Despite their efforts, Quảng Ngãi only managed a 1-1 draw. Lâm Đồng opened the scoring in the 8th minute with a header from Trương Hải Đăng, while Phùng Văn Nam scored the equalizer for the home team. This result is seen as an acceptable starting point, laying the groundwork for upcoming matches.

Speaking after the match, coach Vũ Như Thành expressed satisfaction with his players' performance. He emphasized that the team created many opportunities but needs to improve its finishing. With one point from the opener, he believes this is an opportunity for his players to train and progress in the future.

Vũ Như Thành was once a top center-back in Vietnamese football, winning many individual and collective honors, including the Vietnam Silver Ball 2008 and the 2008 AFF Cup championship with the national team. His talent was once assessed by coach Henrique Calisto as "a player like Nguyễn Hồng Sơn appears once every 50 years, and a second Vũ Như Thành comes only once in over 100 years".

Before returning to lead Quảng Ngãi, Như Thành had coached Phú Thọ Club (2021-2023) and served as an assistant at Công An Hà Nội Club. He currently holds an AFC Pro Coach license, far exceeding the minimum requirement for a head coach in the Second Division, promising to bring new professionalism and ambition to the team from Quảng Ngãi.