RIEDL TO COACH LAOS UNDER-23 FOR SEA GAMES

VIENTIANNE (5 July 2009) – Former Vietnam national coach Alfred Riedl has been appointed as the head coach of the Laos Under-23 in preparation for the SEA Games which will be held in the country at the end of the year.

The 60-year-old Austrian’s last coaching position was with V-League side Hai Phong Cement which ended in March.

Riedl had just signed a seven-month contract with the Lao Football Federation (LFF) with his salary to be paid by the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group – the current base of the Laos U23 side.

HAGL and the Lao Ministry of Finance had signed a memorandum of understanding on the construction of apartments for athletes competing in the SEA Games to the tune of USD14 million.

With Vietnam, Riedl steered the national side to the second spo at the Asean Football Championship in 1998, then known as the Tiger Cup.

He also led the Vietnam U23 squad to the silver medals at the 1999, 2003 and 2005 SEA Games.