Nam Dinh FC faces the risk of not participating in the 2018 V.League season.

On December 28, 2017, the VPF survey team worked with Nam Dinh Club to inspect and evaluate the preparation and facilities of the clubs participating in the 2018 Professional Football League.

As a result, the facilities of the team based at Thien Truong Stadium fully meet the conditions for participating in the 2018 national championship. Nam Dinh Club is also making preparations in all aspects such as finances, procedures, and recruiting new personnel to participate in V.League 2018.

Ahead of the new season, Nam Dinh FC lost center-back Pham Van Nam when he left the team to join FLC Thanh Hoa. In addition, they also welcomed a new recruit from the PVF academy, midfielder Nguyen Trong Phu, born in 1999.

According to V.League regulations, teams in the Vietnamese National Football Championship must be professional football joint-stock companies. However, currently, the Nam Dinh team is still under the management of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Nam Dinh province and has not yet been privatized due to many unresolved difficulties.

Despite winning the First Division title last year, Nam Dinh FC faces the risk of not participating in the 2018 V.League. Photo: Hai Thinh

Eager to see V.League teams recruiting new players and assembling their squads in preparation for the new season, Bui Duc Lai, a loyal Nam Dinh fan, spoke out with an open letter on the Nam Dinh Football Supporters' Association Fanpage.

The original text reads as follows: “Ladies and gentlemen, the fact that we haven't yet transitioned to a business model is already too late compared to our competitors in the V.League, who have already regrouped and recruited all the best players.” Fan Lai Do shared in his open letter. “Because we haven't transitioned to a business model in time, Nam Dinh FC can't sign sponsorship deals, and therefore doesn't have the money to recruit talented players, both domestic and foreign.”

“Millions of Nam Dinh fans, as well as the coaching staff and players, especially coach Nguyen Van Sy, a man deeply committed to his hometown's football, are facing this helplessness. The players are on tenterhooks, worried about their future, while the fans long to see the people of Nam Dinh represent their entire province in Vietnam's top football league.”

A fan considered the successor to the "Drum Theory" said the sticking point lies with the provincial leadership. Duc Lai added: "All departments, organizations, the people, and fans wholeheartedly support the team, only the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Tran Le Doan, disagrees."

And if they fail to meet the basic requirements of the V.League organizing committee before the final schedule deadline, it is highly likely that all the efforts of coach Nguyen Van Sy and his team in achieving promotion last year will be wasted.

According to our findings, the budget allocated by the local government to the Nam Dinh football team, as publicly announced at the People's Council meeting, is 35 billion VND per season. This figure is entirely sufficient to cover the minimum operating costs. The only urgent issue that the local leadership needs to address is establishing a professional football joint-stock company.