Le Huynh Duc of SHB Da Nang on Monday requested for resignation, which was accepted by club authorities. Surprisingly, he was replaced by former coach Phan Thanh Hung, 61.

Phan Thanh Hung (2nd, right) has made a comeback as SHB DN coach. Photo: NGUYEN AN

His decision came after the city’s club suffered 2-1 defeat to defending champions Viettel on Sunday at home. 

The loss was Da Nang's fourth in six matches, and put a serious dent in their chances of finishing in the top six teams after the mid-season split, with 16 points in 12 matches only good enough for ninth in the V.League 1 table.

In 2008, Duc replaced coach Phan Thanh Hung to take the driving seat of SHB DN, and under his guidance, the home team won V.League 1 championships in 2009 and 2012, one National Cup in 2009 and two National Super Cup in 2012.

He also led Da Nang to the quarter-finals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup in 2010.

Besides, Duc was assistant coach for the national team and U23 team in 2009, but he refused to coach the national team after several invitations from the Viet Nam Football Federation.

Duc attained the AFC Professional Football Coaching Diploma, which is also known as the AFC Pro Diploma, the highest level of coaching accreditation issued by the AFC, in 2017.

Meanwhile, coach Hung helped SHB DN U21 team win the National U21 Football championships in 2008 and 2009.

Having left the city’s football team, he became the head coach of Ha Noi T&T and then helped this club to win V-League championships in 2010 and 2013 and gained National Super Cup in 2013.

In 2016, Hung took the post of Quang Ninh team’s head coach, and help this squad  win both the National Cup and National Super Cup in the same year. 

Hung coached Becamex Binh Duong earlier this season, but he resigned over his personal health reasons.

Earlier, Hung played for the former Quang Nam - Da Nang team and won the national football championship in 1993. He and his team reached the semi-finals of the Asian Cup Winners' Cup in 1992, the best result of a Vietnamese team in the continental event.

He was called up to the national football squad in 1993 to compete in the 1994 World Cup qualifying round at the age of 33 and scored a goal for the Vietnamese team in a 3-2 defeat to Singapore. After that, he also played in the SEA Games 17.

With regard to the ongoing the V.League 1 updates, after 12 matches, Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) are now on the top with 29 points, followed by Viettel with 26 points. 

Reporting by NGUYEN AN – Translating by A.T