Binh Duong, May 5, 2025 – Becamex Binh Duong and coach Nguyen Cong Manh mutually agreed to part ways following a 3-1 loss to Hong Linh Ha Tinh in Round 21 of the V.League 2024-2025, capping a two-month slide of one draw and five losses. The club’s freefall to 8th with 25 points has sparked a coaching change, with Nguyen Anh Duc tipped as a potential successor, per VFF reports.
Since early March, Becamex Binh Duong’s form crumbled, earning just one point from six matches, the worst in V.League, conceding 16 goals while scoring four. Their 26 goals this season, led by Nguyen Tien Linh’s seven, pale against Nam Dinh FC’s 38, per Sofascore. Sitting six points above Binh Dinh FC, who have a game in hand, and 11 above bottom-placed Da Nang FC, Becamex Binh Duong face a play-off risk with five rounds left, though 27 points typically secures safety, per 10-year V.League trends.
This isn’t Manh’s first exit attempt. After a 3-0 Round 19 loss to Hanoi FC, the 1982-born coach announced his resignation but was persuaded to stay, only for 3-1 defeats to Nam Dinh FC and Hong Linh Ha Tinh to seal his departure. Nguyen Anh Duc, a 1985-born club legend who retired in 2020 after 13 years with Becamex Binh Duong, is a leading candidate to take over. Anh Duc, who coached Long An FC and Binh Phuoc FC in V.League 2, lacks V.League experience but brings deep club ties, unlike The Cong Viettel’s Velizar Popov.
Manh, praised for modernizing training with vertical attacks and wing play, akin to Song Lam Nghe An’s youth flair, struggled to unite the squad. High-profile signings, including Janclesio and Ha Duc Chinh, underperformed, echoing Hoang Anh Gia Lai’s 2024 woes. Becamex Binh Duong’s dressing room issues and lack of cohesion, per Vietnam Sports News, hindered Manh’s bold vision, despite his tactical acumen.
The club’s coaching carousel—featuring young guns like Tran Minh Chien, veterans like Hoang Anh Tuan and Le Huynh Duc, and club stalwarts like Nguyen Thanh Son—has yielded no titles since 2018, unlike Hanoi Police FC’s 2023 triumph. With a National Cup semifinal against Nam Dinh FC looming, Becamex Binh Duong’s leadership, mirroring Thanh Hoa FC’s reset, must look beyond “sacking the coach” to address systemic issues. Anh Duc’s potential appointment, backed by Ho Chi Minh City FC-like fan support, aims to stabilize the squad for a crucial clash with Hanoi FC, as Becamex Binh Duong fights to avoid a play-off and restore their 2015 glory.
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