Portuguese coach Henrique Calisto will return to Vietnam on February 15 – the first day of the Lunar New Year - to sign a new contract with the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).

The Portuguese coach, who returned home for a holiday, was due in Hanoi on February 17 to sign a three-year agreement to coach the national team but delayed his flight because his wife was having surgery.

Calisto’s salary is expected to be US$20,000 a month, excluding accommodation and vehicle rent.

“We do believe that Calisto will agree to coach the national team three more years to take the team further,” Le Hung Dung, VFF deputy chairman told Vietnam News Agency.

“As agreed, Calisto will work exclusively for the national team.”

The 57-year-old has been one of the most successful foreign coaches in Vietnam .

In 2008, Calisto agreed to take over the U-23 team and the national senior team at the same time.

That year, Vietnam won the ASEAN Football Championship-AFF-Suzuki Cup, the national team’s best performance for 50 years.

Last year, the U-23 squad finished second at the Southeast Asian Games in Laos after losing 1-0 loss to Malaysia.