VietNamNet Bridge – Topflight V-League club Hai Phong sacked coach Vuong Tien Dung following a spate of poor performances.

Let go: Coach Vuong Tien Dung was fired by Hai Phong football club following several poor performances by the top-flight club. (Photo: VNS)

"Dung contributed greatly to our team. We had to think carefully before letting him go. But we need a change of spirit, technique and more points," said Hai Phong Managing Director Bui Dinh Hung.

"While I'm not overly surprised by the decision, I feel sad to let the team go. I owe the fans and club leaders an apology seeing as they had placed so much faith in me," said Dung, a former The Cong, or Army team coach.

According to the coach, Hai Phong lost many of its good players since the start of the season, with newcomers still not prominent enough. In addition, many of the club's key players were sidelined due to injuries.

Though Hai Phong fired Dung with immediate effect, the club is yet to ink a contract with a new coach.

"While we've found a possible substitute coach, we have yet to reach an agreement. If we don't sign someone in time, the current assistant coach will temporarily take charge of the team," Hung said.

Dung joined the Hai Phong team in 2008, just as it made its return to the national premier league after playing in the First Division for one year.

Assisted by Phan Van My and Tran Tien Anh, the coach helped Hai Phong finish third during the 2008 V-League season, the success the team has yet duplicate.

This is the third time that Hai Phong fired a coach.

At one point, Austrian coach Alfred Riedl, former coach of the national squad, replaced Dung. But he left after only three matches and was replaced by Dinh The Nam, who proved unsuccessful in the position.

Dung again returned to Hai Phong, helping the team finish seventh in the 2009 season.

At end of the 2010 V-League season, with the Hanoian coach's help, Hai Phong managed to finish second behind Ha Noi T&T.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News