Henrique Calisto returns to strengthen Vietnam-Portugal football ties

Accompanying him was Jose Pedro de Sousa Vieira, president of the Portugal-Vietnam Friendship Association.

The delegation was warmly received by VFF chairman Tran Quoc Tuan.

The visit coincided with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Portugal (1975–2025), marking a meaningful occasion to promote cultural and sporting exchange, and explore new opportunities for cooperation between the two nations’ football communities.

Calisto has a rich history with Vietnamese football. Most notably, he led the Vietnam national team to their historic AFF Cup victory in 2008.

During the meeting, he expressed his delight at returning to Vietnam, a place he described as full of memories, and praised the strong development of Vietnamese football in recent years.

In his current role, Calisto emphasized his desire to help foster professional ties between the football federations of Vietnam and Portugal.

“Portugal has lots of outstanding coaches working with top clubs and national teams around the world," he said.

“I hope to promote closer cooperation between the two football federations, aiming toward the signing of a memorandum of understanding in the near future."

He also hinted at enhancing collaboration in some areas where Portuguese football excels, such as futsal, currently ranked second in the world, and beach soccer.

Besides, he suggested organizing training programs for Vietnamese youth teams at modern training facilities in Portugal, particularly the new center in Braga.

At the meeting, Vieira showed his interest in the journey of Vietnamese footballer Huynh Nhu at Portugal's Lank FC during the 2022-24 period, describing her presence as a symbol of growing football ties between the two countries.

In recognition of Calisto’s enduring contributions, VFF chairman Tuan presented him with a copy of the newly-published commemorative book titled ‘25 Years of Vietnamese Professional Football.”

The book highlights milestones in Vietnam’s football journey, including Calisto’s significant role in leading both Dong Tam Long An FC and the national team during key chapters in its history.

In 2001, Calisto came to Vietnam to manage Dong Tam Long An, helping the club win two V.League titles in 2005 and 2006.

Born in 1953, the coach achieved several successes with the Vietnam national team from 2008 to 2011, including winning the 2008 AFF Cup, Vietnam’s first Southeast Asian championship, and a silver medal at the 2009 Southeast Asian Games.