Withdrawing from competitions - a chronic problem in Vietnamese football.
Vietnamese football has been professional for over 20 years, but teams suddenly withdrawing from the league still happens all the time.
With the 2023/2024 season having just officially concluded, Ba Ria - Vung Tau has announced that it will not participate in the National First Division League next season. The reason given by the team's management is a lack of operating funds. It's a real shame for a team with one of the most beautiful pitches in Vietnam.
Thus, with this decision, the team nicknamed "The Sea Eagles" will be relegated to the National Third Division. In the past, Ba Ria - Vung Tau also refused to participate in the 2013 National First Division, and simultaneously disbanded the team.
Following in the footsteps of Ba Ria - Vung Tau, another team that will not participate in the 2024/2025 National First Division League is Dinh Huong Phu Nhuan. It's worth noting that this team, based in Ho Chi Minh City, only recently earned promotion on June 17th.
It is highly likely that the 2024/2025 National First Division League will only have 10 participating teams. And who knows, on opening day or during the season, more teams might withdraw, perhaps due to lack of funding.
According to statistics, since the 2021 season, the National First Division has seen teams withdraw from the league every season. Before Ba Ria - Vung Tau, there were Tay Ninh and Gia Dinh (2021), An Giang (2022), Saigon and Can Tho (2023), and Binh Thuan (2023/2024).
It can be said that the frequent withdrawal of teams from leagues is a chronic disease of Vietnamese football. As long as the development of teams depends on the whims of their owners, similar cases to Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Dinh Huong Phu Nhuan, etc., will likely continue to occur.
