After helping Vietnam eliminate Malaysia, the Brazilian coach immediately received a new assignment.

Coach Roland, upon leaving Vietnam U17, is set to guide Hanoi U19 in the upcoming 2025 National U19 qualifying rounds.

The success of Vietnam U17 in the 2026 AFC U17 qualifiers recently cannot be discussed without mentioning the role of head coach Cristiano Roland. The Brazilian strategist received much praise from fans for the attractive teamwork style and the emergence of many promising players.

Five wins, 30 goals scored, and no goals conceded, especially the 4-0 victory over Malaysia in the final match, clearly demonstrated Coach Cristiano Roland’s tactical brilliance. Following the extremely successful 2026 AFC U17 qualifying campaign, the Brazilian coach will immediately take on his next task.

Specifically, Coach Roland will return to his home club, Hanoi FC, to continue leading the youth teams of the capital’s club. The Brazilian coach will lead Hanoi U19 in the 2025/2026 National U19 qualifiers. Among his players are some outstanding talents who recently shone in Vietnam U17, such as Nguyen Manh Quan, Chu Ngoc Nguyen Luc, Tran Hoang Viet, and Dao Quy Vuong.

The matches of the National U19 qualifiers will take place from December 14, 2025, to January 6, 2026The National U19 qualifying matches will be held from December 14, 2025, through January 6, 2026 at the host localities. The final round of the 2025/26 National U19 Football Championship will be held from January 14 to January 27, 2026.

Hanoi U19, under Coach Roland’s leadership, will be placed in Group B alongside Luxury Ha Long, Tre Phu Dong, The Cong Viettel II, Ninh Binh Sports Center II, and PVF-CAND. Therefore, Coach Roland will not face any of his former U17 Vietnam players during this qualifying phase.

Coach Roland has shown his talent in youth football by leading Hanoi U17 to win the National U17 Championship two years in a row, guiding Vietnam U16 to victories over Japan U16 and Uzbekistan U16 at the 2024 U16 Peace Cup. This is his second time participating in the AFC U17 finals with Vietnam U17. Previously, in 2025, the team remained unbeaten in the group stage with draws against strong teams like Japan, Australia, and UAE but did not advance further.

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