Spanish coach honored for the first time in Vietnam

Coach Gerard Albaladejo received the Best Coach award for September due to his outstanding results with Ninh Binh Club over the past period.

Gerard Albaladejo Castano, born in 1983 and from Spain, was named Best Coach of September after leading Ninh Binh Club to a 2-0 victory over Nam Dinh and a 2-2 draw against Hai Phong. Since the start of the season, Ninh Binh is one of only two unbeaten teams in the 2025/2026 V-League with 4 wins and 1 draw, equal to CAHN.

Additionally, Ninh Binh Club was also awarded the Best Club of the V-League for September. The Best Club and Best Coach awards will be presented during the match between Ninh Binh and The Cong Viettel on October 2, 2025, at Ninh Binh Stadium.

Gerard is highly regarded for his flexible tactics and ability to maximize player potential, helping Ninh Binh maintain the top position in the standings. This marks an important milestone, proving his coaching skills in his first time leading a team in Vietnam.

The strategist Gerard Albaladejo, born in 1983, used to play for several small clubs in Spain. However, his playing career ended early at age 26 due to a serious injury.

Since 2012, he began his coaching career at Lleida Esportiu (Spanish Second Division) as an assistant coach. From 2015 to 2017, Albaladejo managed the reserve team before becoming the head coach of the main squad in July 2017. His biggest achievement was leading Lleida Esportiu to defeat Real Sociedad in the Round of 32 of the 2017 Spanish King's Cup.

In a recent interview, Coach Gerard Albaladejo revealed that Hoang Duc was the reason he accepted the offer to coach Ninh Binh FC: "When I spoke with the chairman about moving to Ninh Binh, I reviewed the squad quality and immediately noticed Hoang Duc.

He is the reason I am here. Watching Hoang Duc play made me want to coach him. This is very important because both players and coaching staff must move forward together. We have to be a family, and it’s just a matter of time."