~ Le Viêt Nam, aujourd'hui. ~
The Vietnam News

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[Year 2002]

Vietnam sacks sixth foreign soccer coach in seven years

HANOI - The Vietnam Football Federation has fired the French coach of its Under-22 national squad because of poor results and disagreements over his team selections, a soccer official said Thursday. Christian Letard is the sixth foreign coach of national squads to be dismissed by Vietnam in seven years. He took charge of the Under-22s in March.

Letard was fired because of disputes with the federation over his selection policy and the team's poor showing at the recent LG Cup, a Vietnamese football federation official said on condition of anonymity. Vietnam lost all its opening round matches at the regional Under-22 tournament, which was held last month in southern Ho Chi Minh City.

Letard was chosen from more than 60 foreign applicants to coach the team after Brazilian -born Dutch coach Edson "Dido" Silva was dismissed last September. The federation hopes to build a strong national team for the Southeast Asian Games, which are being held in Vietnam in December next year.

Vietnam's state-controlled media have repeatedly criticized Letard's selection policy and coaching style. Letard had refused to accept some players chosen by the Vietnamese football federation. His successor has not yet been chosen, the official said. Letard and the federation are reportedly still in disagreement over the terms of his termination.

Thursday's The Thao (Sports) newspaper quoted federation spokesman Nguyen Lan Trung as saying Letard is demanding dlrs 144,000, his full remaining salary under his contract which runs until November 2003. The federation says it can only pay him four months salary, or dlrs 36,000.

The Associated Press - August 22, 2002.