German tech director to exit Vietnam Football Federation

"The contract of technical director Jurgen Gede will expire on June 30. We have decided not to extend his contract. VFF already has a few candidates for the position after Gede leaves. The new technical director will not only focus on youth football in Vietnam but also coaching development," VFF General Secretary Le Hoai Anh said.

Gede said he was "a bit despondent" when VFF decided not to extend the contract, giving him little time to plan his future.

"During my years working for VFF, I have always given my best for the love of Vietnamese football. The national team is doing well, though I still hope VFF would develop youth football to uncover new talent. This, to me, is the definition of sustainability," Gede said.

Jurgen Gede was a former footballer at German club Schalke 04. After retirement, he coached another German club, Fortuna Dusseldolf. Gede became VFF’s technical director in June 2016 with his main focus on youth football across Vietnam. He proved his ability assisting U20 coach Hoang Anh Tuan to help the team make history as they qualified for U20 World Cup in 2017.

The team has provided many national players considered the new golden generation of Vietnamese football like Nguyen Quang Hai, Tran Dinh Trong, and Nguyen Tien Linh.

After Park Hang-seo led the national football team in 2017, Gede’s role became less important as Park preferred using his own South Korean assistants.