Christopher Hernández, the spanish fitness coach of Becamex Ho Chi Minh City FC, begins a new chapter, where he aims to continue developing professionally, improve the players’ performance and contribute his experience to a project with growing ambitions
- What attracted you most to the Becamex project and what motivated you to make the move to Vietnamese football?
I wouldn’t say there was one specific aspect that caught my attention and motivated me to join Becamex. I think it was a combination of different factors: the club, the country, the level of competition and, above all, what the coach presented to me, both in terms of training and football, as well as professionally within my specific role.
Another factor that motivated me to come to Vietnam was being aware of the level of football in the country, which is improving year after year, with a national team that is recognised across Southeast Asia.
- You have been developing your career as a fitness coach for several years. How would you define your methodology, and what are the foundations on which you build a team’s performance?
The truth is that, despite having already spent several years working in physical preparation, I still consider myself a learner. Saying that I have a 100% defined methodology would not be the most accurate thing to say at this point in my career.
I like to keep learning and to observe different ways of working from other professionals. That allows me to gradually build my own approach and develop a methodology that I feel comfortable with.
- What is your assessment of the physical level of Vietnamese football, and how much room for improvement do you think there is in this area?
At this early stage, and without GPS technology that would allow me to compare the data with other leagues I have worked in, it is difficult to answer this question accurately.
That said, I would highlight the intensity of the training sessions, the players’ ability to work in the temperatures we train in, and their willingness to carry out any type of work you ask of them.
I believe there is a lot of room for improvement, both physically and from a footballing perspective. Starting to implement higher-quality work at youth level would allow them to take a significant step forward in terms of quality and raise their level within Asia.
- Working in a new country means adapting to a different culture, language and way of understanding football. How are you experiencing this adaptation process in Vietnam?
To be honest, adapting to Vietnam has been easier than in the previous countries I have had the opportunity to work in.
Having previously spent time in Southeast Asia has allowed me to adapt to Vietnamese culture and everyday life more easily than the first time I set foot in Asia. Obviously, every country has its own particularities, which never stop surprising you, and you have to accept them and adapt in the best possible way.
- What sporting goals have you set for yourself for the future?
My long-term goals will always be the same: to keep progressing step by step and to improve the level of the teams I have the opportunity to work with until I reach the elite.
For this season, and considering the current context, my goals are to improve the players’ performance by introducing new ways of working and greater variety into our training sessions; to minimise the number of injuries as much as possible by providing the players with all the support and resources I can; and to help the coach and the rest of the coaching staff through my work, both on and off the pitch.
I also want to ensure that the players are physically capable of maintaining the intensity required by our playing model.
