KUALA LUMPUR: Former Vietnam coach Park Hang Seo has denied any interest in coaching Harimau Malaya, despite media reports suggesting otherwise.
Hang Seo's representative, Lee Dong Jun, has firmly refuted these claims, stating that the 66-year-old has not applied for the Harimau Malaya coaching job.
"There is absolutely no truth to the claim that Hang Seo applied for the Malaysia national team coaching position.
"Such rumours can damage Hang Seo's reputation. While I frequently engage with FA presidents worldwide, including Datuk Hamidin Amin of the FA of Malaysia (FAM), our discussions have never involved the coaching role in Malaysia," Dong Jun told VnExpress.
Under Hang Seo, Vietnam broke into the top 100 Fifa world rankings and clinched the 2018 AFF Cup.
The senior team also made history by reaching the third round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers for the first time. Additionally, Vietnam won gold at the 2019 and 2021 Sea Games and were runners-up at the 2018 Asian Under-23 Championships.
Dong Jun added that if Malaysia were interested in Hang Seo, they would need to make an official offer first.
"If Malaysia is interested in Hang Seo, they need to extend an offer to me first.
"Only then will I discuss it with the coach for his consideration. I want to reiterate that there is no truth to the claim that Hang Seo applied for the coaching position in Malaysia," he stressed.
Hang Seo's name had been linked to the job even before former coach Kim Pan Gon was appointed in 2022. Harimau Malaya is currently under caretaker coach Pau Marti Vicente, who will oversee the team in the Merdeka Tournament, which kicks off on Wednesday.
In a recent press conference, Hamidin criticised Pan Gon for his "unprofessionalism" following his departure to Korea League 1's Ulsan Hyundai.
Pan Gon cited personal matters as the reason for stepping down as Harimau Malaya coach.
Hamidin claimed Hang Seo was making another bid for the Harimau Malaya job.