Quang Nam, 19 May, 2025 – Coaches Tomislav Steinbruckner and Van Sy Son have been persuaded to continue leading Thanh Hoa and Quang Nam, respectively, in the final stages of the 2024-2025 V.League season.
Steinbruckner, who had initially tendered his resignation after Thanh Hoa’s 1-2 loss to Hai Phong in round 23 of the V.League on May 16, 2025, had expressed his desire to discuss an immediate termination of his contract with the club’s Executive Director. The Croatian coach had faced a tough run of four consecutive losses, leading to his decision. However, the Thanh Hoa management refused to accept his resignation. Despite the difficult period, the club is comfortably safe from relegation, and the leadership felt that a managerial change at this juncture would be ill-advised with only three matches remaining in the season.
A similar situation unfolded the following day with Van Sy Son, the coach of Quang Nam. After a 0-1 loss to Da Nang, which left Quang Nam sitting in 12th place—just two points above the relegation zone—Son decided to step down. In a message to the club’s leadership, he expressed his desire to allow someone else to take over and bring fresh energy into the squad. Again, Quang Nam’s management chose not to act on the request, opting to retain Son’s leadership, citing his strong influence within the team and belief in his ability to motivate the players in their relegation battle.
Steinbruckner, born in 1966 in Croatia, began his coaching career in 2001, working with various lower-league clubs in Croatia. In 2022, he moved to Southeast Asia to become the Technical Director and later head coach of Terengganu FC in Malaysia, a role he held until October 2024. During his tenure in Malaysia, Steinbruckner led the team to runner-up finishes in both the Malaysian Cup and the Malaysian Super Cup in 2023. He took over as Thanh Hoa’s head coach on March 24, 2025, following the departure of Coach Popov. Under his guidance, Thanh Hoa experienced a mixed run of results, with the team suffering five defeats, securing one victory, and drawing once, which saw them drop to 7th place in the V.League standings with 30 points.
Van Sy Son, born in 1972 in Nghe An, is the son of former footballer Van Sy Chi and comes from a family with a rich footballing heritage. His brothers, Van Sy Ngoc and Van Sy Hung, along with his younger siblings, Van Sy Thuy and Van Sy Linh, all made a name for themselves in Vietnamese football. Son himself was a key player for Song Lam Nghe An (SLNA) during the club’s successful era, winning two V.League titles in 1999-2000 and 2000-2001, as well as the National Cup in 2001-2002 and the Vietnamese Super Cup in 2000, 2001, and 2002. After retiring in 2007, Son transitioned into coaching and served as an assistant coach for Hanoi FC from 2008 to 2020. He was appointed head coach of Quang Nam in 2022, leading them to a championship in the 2023 National First Division, earning promotion to the V.League for the 2023-2024 season. In the previous season, Quang Nam finished 11th in the V.League with 32 points.
Both clubs now face critical matches in the remaining three rounds of the season. Thanh Hoa has secured its place in the top half of the table, while Quang Nam remains in a tense battle to avoid relegation. The decision to keep Steinbruckner and Son at the helm reflects the clubs’ belief in stability and the trust placed in these experienced coaches to see them through the final stages of the season.
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