HAGL President Doan Nguyen Duc (R) and coach Park Hang-seo.

At the signing ceremony on Thursday, Park thanked Duc for serving as a bridge between him and Vietnam.

“I still remember my first meeting with Mr. Duc two years ago. He connected me with Vietnamese football. He is very passionate about Vietnamese football. I will always be grateful to him.”

PLO quoted Duc as saying in response, “We should be grateful for Park instead. Thanks to him, Vietnam has become a big name in Asian football. I know that Park doesn’t work for money.

“In deed, I was concerned about the possibility that Park will seek a new job with more challenges and a higher salary. I knew some foreign clubs were willing to pay him hundreds of thousands of USD per month but he rejected.”

Duc revealed that Park did want to challenge himself in a new environment.

Park told the audience at the signing ceremony that he is proud to continue leading Vietnam’s national team and will do his best to accomplish his unfulfilled goals.