Following a humiliating 0-3 loss to Indonesia on home soil at My Dinh National Stadium, the Vietnamese Football Federation (VFF) has parted ways with head coach Philippe Troussier.
This marks the second defeat for Vietnam at the hands of Indonesia in less than a week, with the first leg ending 1-0 in Jakarta on March 21.
In an emergency meeting held immediately after the Hanoi match, VFF and Troussier mutually agreed to terminate their contract effective March 26, according to a press release issued the same day.
The French manager expressed his gratitude for the support from players, clubs, VFF, and fans, while also apologizing for the team’s disappointing performance.
VFF recognized Troussier’s contributions, professionalism, and sense of responsibility, and wished him and his family well.
The federation also apologized to domestic football fans for the recent poor performance of the national team and expressed hope for their continued support.
In late 2022, South Korean coach Park Hang-seo stepped down as head coach of the Vietnamese national team, leading VFF to search for a replacement.
Philippe Troussier, former head coach of the Japanese national team, was appointed to the position.
Prior to his appointment, Troussier worked with the PVF Football Academy in Hung Yen Province and had previously served as head coach of Vietnam U19s.
The contract between VFF and the Frenchman was initially set to run for over three years, from March 1, 2023 to July 31, 2026, with the primary goal of helping Vietnam qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals for the first time.
Troussier’s monthly salary exceeded US$50,000 (after tax), along with additional benefits.
In his first year, Troussier failed to lead Vietnam U22s to the final of men’s football at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia as promised.
In 2024, the contract required him to guide Vietnam through the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and secure a medal at the 2024 ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup. These goals now seem unattainable after consecutive defeats against Indonesia.
Vietnam currently sits third in the four-team Group F, with three points from four games.
Iraq leads the table with 12 points, followed by Indonesia with seven points and the Philippines at the bottom with only one point.
During his one-year tenure, Troussier oversaw 14 matches, with 10 losses and four wins, resulting in Vietnam’s FIFA ranking falling to 105th from 94th, its lowest in years.
