Nam Dinh FC appointed coach Mauro Jeronimo on 14/11/2025, 20 days after dismissing coach Vu Hong Viet. The Portuguese tactician was praised for his dedication, responsibility, and professionalism, but results did not follow.

Jeronimo's tenure began with a two-0 victory against Long An in the round of 1/8 of the National Cup. However, a subsequent two-0 defeat to Thai club Ratchaburi saw the team lose control of their destiny and exit the AFC Champions League Two group stage, despite a dominant 9-0 win over Hong Kong Eastern in their final match.

New Nam Dinh FC Chief Executive Officer Vu Hong Viet (left) presents the coaching contract to coach Mauro Jeronimo at Thien Truong Stadium, Ninh Binh on 14/11/2025. Photo: Nam Dinh FC.

In the Southeast Asian Club Cup, Nam Dinh performed strongly, securing three wins and one draw to finish atop Group B. The team is set to face Selangor (Malaysia) in the semifinals in May. However, this form did not carry over to the V-League, where they drew two-2 with Thanh Hoa and one-1 with Ha Tinh. On 24/2, Nam Dinh suffered a one-0 defeat to The Cong, extending their winless streak in the V-League to 10 matches and putting them 20 points behind league leaders Cong an Ha Noi. Following this, coach Jeronimo resigned, even though his contract was valid until the end of the 2026-2027 season.

Born in 1987, Jeronimo previously coached at the PVF Youth Football Training Center starting in 2018. In 2022, he took charge of the center's first team, Pho Hien FC (now PVF-CAND), guiding them to a 5th-place finish in the National First Division. The team then secured second place in the First Division for two seasons, 2023 and 2023-2024, but were defeated by Ha Tinh in the play-off for a V-League 2024-2025 berth.

On 14/3/2025, Jeronimo left PVF-CAND following a series of disappointing results. He then served as Head of Youth Training System at The Cong before breaking his contract to join Nam Dinh.

The decision to part ways prompted Nam Dinh to opt for a familiar solution: reinstating coach Vu Hong Viet, who also serves as the club's General Director and Chief Executive Officer. A club statement read, "The club has only three days to prepare for the V-League derby against Ninh Binh. We need a coach who understands the team and can immediately take charge, which is why coach Vu Hong Viet was invited back."

Coach Vu Hong Viet first took charge of Nam Dinh in August 2022, replacing coach Nguyen Van Sy. Starting that season, Nam Dinh's fortunes changed dramatically as Xuan Thien Group became a sponsor, pledging a minimum investment of 200 billion VND over four years. After two initial seasons without significant success, Nam Dinh ascended to claim consecutive V-League championships in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025.

During their first championship run, striker Rafaelson, later joined by Nguyen Xuan Son, left a significant mark, contributing an impressive 31 goals. The following season, Rafaelson missed most of the campaign due to a broken leg sustained while on national team duty with Vietnam. Despite this setback, coach Vu Hong Viet skillfully guided the team to a convincing V-League title.

However, Nam Dinh's performance declined from the beginning of the 2025-2026 season. Coach Vu Hong Viet resigned after the team's defeat at Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two on 24/10/2025. After four months, he has now returned to lead the team.

Hieu Luong