Arthur Diles officially becomes the head coach of CLB Cong An TP.HCM.

The Ho Chi Minh City Police Football Club has officially appointed Arthur Diles as head coach, an important milestone in their buildup to the 2026/27 season, as the team aims to challenge for honors in both the V.League and regional competitions.

The Australian manager, born on April 22, 1982 in Sydney, was a center-back before transitioning to coaching. Arthur Diles holds a Pro License and has over a decade of experience working in professional football systems in Australia and Greece.

He has previously managed the AEK Athens academy, served as Technical Director of Sydney Olympic, and been head coach of the Western Sydney Wanderers youth team before becoming an assistant at Western Sydney Wanderers, Xanthi (Greece), Newcastle Jets, and Melbourne Victory.

A turning point in Arthur Diles' career came in late 2024 when he was appointed to lead Melbourne Victory following the sudden departure of Patrick Kisnorbo. After an interim period, he was given a permanent contract and guided the team to the 2024/25 A-League Men Grand Final.

In the 2025/26 season, Melbourne Victory again finished in the top group before parting ways with the 44-year-old coach when his contract ended in May 2026. Over nearly 18 months in charge, Arthur Diles led Melbourne Victory in 50 A-League matches, taking the team into the top six in two consecutive seasons and once reaching the Grand Final.

Experts in Australia regard Arthur Diles as a coach who pursues a highly organized style of play, emphasizing tactical discipline and the development of young players. These are the qualities expected to help CLB Cong An TP.HCM build a stable identity in the new era.

The appointment of Arthur Diles also concludes the search for a head coach after Phung Thanh Phuong completed his interim duties at the end of last season, helping the team win the National Cup. The club's leadership hopes the Australian tactician will take the team further in the V.League title race as well as in the Asean Shopee Cup.

Regarding the squad, CLB Cong An TP.HCM has largely retained the core that performed successfully in the 2025/26 season, while actively adding personnel during the transfer window to increase squad depth.

According to multiple sources, the Thong Nhat Stadium-based club has reached agreements to sign two V.League champions from CAHN, Phan Van Duc and Nguyen Van Duc, as well as former SLNA striker Olaha. Additionally, the club is reportedly approaching Uzbekistan national team midfielder Odiljon Hamrobekov, a member of the squad that participated in the 2026 World Cup.

The team has also assembled since early July, entering a phase of fitness testing, tactical refinement, and squad integration under the guidance of the new coaching staff, aiming for the 2026/27 season with ambitions to compete for domestic titles and achieve high results on the continental stage.