LONDON — Erik ten Hag said he was warned off taking on the “impossible job” of Manchester United manager but admitted he could not resist the challenge at Old Trafford.

The Dutchman, who left Ajax to take over at United in 2022, ended the club’s six-year trophy drought last season but has been under intense pressure in his second campaign.

United beat Chelsea 2-1 at home on Wednesday, easing the pressure on their beleaguered boss, but have lost 10 out of their 22 games this season in all competitions.

Ten Hag told fanzine “United We Stand” that he was advised how tough it would be to revive the fortunes of the 20-time English champions, who have been in the shadow of Manchester City for a decade.

“Everyone was telling me ‘You can’t succeed in that job’,” said the 53-year-old. “They said it was impossible. Me? I wanted the challenge.”

United beat Newcastle in the League Cup final in February and finished third in the Premier League in 2022/23.

But this season they are already out of the League Cup, trail Premier League leaders Arsenal by nine points and face an embarrassing group-stage exit from the Champions League.

Since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, six managers have tried and failed to take United back to the top of English football — David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick.

“I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it was such a great club with such a great fanbase,” said Ten Hag.

“People love Man Utd, or they are against Man Utd. I like clubs like this. Ajax was like this.”

The Dutchman said earlier this week he was confident that he retains the backing of the United players after reports of rifts within the dressing room.

United are expected to announce that British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe is buying a 25 percent stake in the club in the coming days but the deal may not make a major impact on spending in the January transfer window.

“I don’t think we will spend a lot,” said Ten Hag.

“As a club, you have to look for improvements, so if you can find better and it’s realistic financially and with financial fair play, the club has to go with it.

“But most of the time you don’t attract the best players in the winter.”

The final berth in the semifinals will come down to a face-off between the Nha Trang Dolphins and the Ho Chi Minh City Wings. 

The defending champions, Saigon Heat, clinched a thrilling 80-78 victory against city counterparts Ho Chi Minh City Wings in the 50th match of the 2023 VBA season, securing a spot in the semifinals with an 11-2 record.

The Saigon Heat’s triumph inadvertently propelled the Thang Long Warriors into the semifinals, with coach Chris Daleo expressing delight over the team’s nine victories this season, a major improvement against last year’s group-stage knockout.

With guaranteed spots for the Saigon Heat and Thang Long Warriors, the race for the last semifinal berth came down to a matchup between the fourth-ranked Nha Trang Dolphins and the fifth-ranked Ho Chi Minh City Wings.

The Nha Trang Dolphins maintain an 8-6 record for the current season with four matches yet to be played, while the Ho Chi Minh City Wings possess a 6-8 record and have three matches remaining in their schedule.

Despite posting a worse record, the Ho Chi Minh City Wings have a higher head-to-head score against the Nha Trang Dolphins.

The Nha Trang Dolphins and Ho Chi Minh City Wings are gearing up for a pivotal matchup that will determine which team reigns supreme.

With both teams vying for the top spot, this final encounter promises intense competition and thrilling basketball.

“The Ho Chi Minh City Wings have been in good form in the second half of the season,” commented Hong Gia Lan, an experienced defender for the Nha Trang Dolphins.

“The impending match presents a considerable challenge for our team.

“Nevertheless, we are actively engaged in preparations, implementing strategic changes to ensure readiness for this demanding encounter.”

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Military-run Viettel Telecom on Wednesday declared that its over-the-top (OTT) media service TV360 has secured an exclusive agreement to broadcast the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, or UEFA Euro 2024, on television and social platforms throughout Vietnam.

Addressing the press conference to announce the deal, Guy-Laurent Epstein, marketing director of UEFA, said the governing body of football in Europe is delighted to collaborate with Viettel as the exclusive broadcaster of the European national team tournament in Vietnam. 

He expects that Vietnamese fans will thoroughly enjoy the UEFA Euro 2024 finals in the highest quality.

Previously, TV360 provided free live coverage of the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers on its website and app in Vietnam.

All matches were accessible for free by simply logging into TV360 users’ accounts.

As per the schedule, the UEFA Euro 2024 is set to kick off in Germany on June 14, 2024, featuring the opening match between the German hosts and Scotland at the Allianz Arena in Munich. 

The tournament’s culmination is scheduled for July 14, with the final match taking place at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

Twenty teams have already qualified for the finals, alongside hosts Germany. 

The remaining three spots will be determined in the play-offs slated for March next year.

On Sunday morning, UEFA conducted a draw to group the teams for the final round. 

A noteworthy outcome was defending champions Italy being placed in Group B alongside heavyweights Croatia, powerhouses Spain, and Albania.

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