World Cup winning coach to lead Vietnam futsal

By Vinh San   June 18, 2022 | 10:00 pm PT
World Cup winning coach to lead Vietnam futsal
Vietnam's Minh Tri (R) vies for the ball in a third place playoff match against Myanmar at the AFF Futsal Championship in Thailand, April 10, 2022. Photo courtesy of the Vietnam Football Federation
Diego Giustozzi, a futsal World Cup winning coach, has signed a two-year contract to lead Vietnam, Spanish media reports say.

Giustozzi, who once led Argentina to the futsal World Cup in 2016, held a press meet to announce his departure from the ElPozo Murcia club. The ESPN reported that Giustozzi would lead Vietnam next.

Giustozzi, 44, is a former futsal player for Argentina who turned to coaching in 2013. He led Argentina to the futsal World Cup in 2016, beating Russia 5-4 in the finals, and had led the ElPozo Murcia club from 2018.

The Argentine hasn't been able to help the club win any title in four years. This is said to be a main factor in parting ways.

"The last four years have truly been stressful. I leave here with much thinner, grayer hair. My greatest sadness is to lose against Barca in the Champions League final in Palau. I might have made mistakes, but I have always stood by my principles," he said.

Vietnam's futsal team, under the guidance of coach Pham Minh Giang, had managed to enter the last eight for the second consecutive time at the 2021 World Cup. But a string of losses against Thailand in the AFF Cup and SEA Games 31 has been deemed a signal for change, which Giustozzi is expected to usher in positive fashion.

 
 
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