Hanoi, April 27, 2025 – The Cong Viettel unveiled Velizar Popov as their new head coach on April 27, signing the Bulgarian tactician to a contract running through June 2027. Tasked with securing at least one trophy this season, Popov takes over a team third in the V-League with 33 points after 20 rounds, six behind Nam Dinh FC, and set to face Hanoi Police FC in the National Cup semifinals.
Popov, who could become the first coach to win three consecutive National Cups after leading Thanh Hoa FC to titles in 2023 and 2023-2024, inherits a squad rich with talent like Nguyen Hoang Duc. The Cong Viettel’s faith in the 49-year-old, despite the risk of missing this season’s targets, reflects their long-term vision for a distinct, attacking identity. “Coaching here lets me dream of winning every competition,” Popov said at his unveiling. “With six V-League rounds left, drastic changes are tough, but I’ll ignite the players to make fans proud of our aggressive, pressing style.”
The Cong Viettel, Southeast Asia’s most storied club, offers Popov a platform to implement his high-pressing philosophy, unlike his Thanh Hoa FC tenure, where he publicly criticized inadequate funding and facilities. However, his fiery temperament—evidenced by a V-League record 12 yellow cards and one red across three seasons (2023: 4 yellows; 2023-2024: 6 yellows; 2024-2025: 2 yellows, 1 red)—requires careful management to avoid clashes with referees and organizers, a challenge Hanoi FC has navigated with Makoto Teguramori.
Popov, sacked by Thanh Hoa FC on March 5 after a 10-match winless streak capped by a National Cup loss to Hai Phong FC, brings a proven track record. Since December 2022, he transformed Thanh Hoa FC into a pressing powerhouse, finishing fourth in the 2023 V-League and winning the National Cup and Super Cup, followed by an eighth-place finish and another Cup in 2023-2024. His Asian coaching journey began in 2012 with Maldives’ New Radiant (2013 domestic treble), followed by stints in Oman, Thailand, Malaysia, Maldives’ national team (2015), and Myanmar U23 (2019-2023, SEA Games 2019 bronze).
The Cong Viettel is Popov’s fifth foreign-led coaching stint since their 2019 V-League return, after Lee Heung-sil (2019), Jurgen Gede (2021, interim), Bae Ji-won (2022, interim), and Thomas Dooley (2023-2024, interim). The club is the sixth to change coaches this season, following Thanh Hoa FC (Popov to Steinbruckner), Song Lam Nghe An (Pham Anh Tuan to Phan Nhu Thuat), Becamex Binh Duong (Hoang Anh Tuan to Nguyen Cong Manh), Da Nang FC (Dao Quang Hung to Cristiano Roland, then Le Duc Tuan), and Hanoi FC (Le Duc Tuan to Hoang Van Phuc, then Teguramori).
Popov’s debut against Ho Chi Minh City FC looms, with his attacking ethos, akin to Hoang Anh Gia Lai’s flair, poised to challenge Nam Dinh FC’s lead and revive The Cong Viettel’s 2020 V-League glory.
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