Former football star Van Sy Chi: "The immortal number 10" and the story of a legend.

Graphics: Trung Kien

Mr. Van Sy Chi was born on May 15, 1939, in Hoang Mai village, Quynh Thien commune, Quynh Luu district (now Hoang Mai town), Nghe An province. His life and football career began like that of many other children. They didn't have enough to eat or wear, but they had beautiful memories of football matches at the village communal house. The ball was made from banana peels or pomelo peels, the playing field was the communal house courtyard, and the goalposts were bamboo stakes painted white under the moonlight.

Going back to history, after the earth-shattering victory at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, the North was completely liberated. This was also the time when the cultural and sports fronts were developed. In 1958, Mr. Van Sy Chi enlisted in the army and played amateur football in the 335th Division.

The soldiers of that era were tough but incredibly romantic; they named their team "Bong Lau" (Reed Flower). At the 1959 All-Army Championship, Van Sy Chi's name first astonished those who witnessed him play, thanks to his goal-scoring talent and innate technique. His impressive debut led to his introduction to the army team by former star player Ngo Xuan Quynh, a veteran of the early The Cong team (from Hung Nguyen, Nghe An). In his first match for The Cong, Chi was very disappointed to be a substitute and wear the number 13 jersey.

But after coming onto the field, striker Van Sy Chi scored a remarkable 5 goals. From then on, the number 10 jersey belonged to him, and the number 10 jersey remained associated with the name Van Sy Chi for 20 years. Among the quartet "Tien - Nhi - Chi - Ut," Van Sy Chi was the main goalscorer for The Cong. Not only did he dominate on the pitches of Northern Vietnam, but when on international duty, Van Sy Chi and his teammates achieved resounding victories.

Mr. Chi and his teammates played their first two international matches: a 1-2 loss against the Beijing Youth League (China), and a 1-0 victory against the Bayi (China Army) – the team that had won the Chinese Army League seven times. Mr. Chi scored the only goal, giving Vietnam a 1-0 win. No one could believe it was true when they received the phone call. In another friendly match against Bayi in Vietnam, Mr. Chi scored the opening goal. Those were the most beautiful and unforgettable years in the life of former football star Van Sy Chi.

In the book "I Am a The Cong Football Player," football expert Vu Manh Hai (former Editor-in-Chief of Bong Da newspaper), a descendant of former football legend Van Sy Chi at the most traditional football team in Vietnam - The Cong - used special words to describe Mr. Chi as a monument, a "prodigy" of Vietnamese football in the 20th century.

During the era when The Cong Club dominated the world, four players were dubbed the "legendary quartet": Tien, Nhi, Chi, and Ut. Chi here refers to Mr. Van Sy Chi. Mentioning this quartet evokes memories of something incredibly powerful, passionate, and outstanding from the older generation.

The only player to ever win a shooting championship...

In the history of Vietnamese football and world football, there is probably no other player who has achieved the feat of Mr. Van Sy Chi, winning a gold medal in shooting abroad.

Specifically, in 1963, the Thể Công Football Club participated in the Socialist Countries' Army Football Tournament in Czechoslovakia. On their way back, the team stopped in the former Soviet Union, right when the Socialist Countries' Army Shooting Tournament was taking place. The Vietnamese athlete fell ill, and Mr. Văn Sỹ Chi volunteered to shoot in his place.

In the 30 shooting rounds (prone, kneeling, standing), a bullet from a former Soviet athlete went astray and hit the Vietnamese target, resulting in Van Sy Chi winning the gold medal and being awarded a large box of Polzot watches. He only kept two, sharing the rest with his teammates.

It can be said that Van Sy Chi is not only a rare talent in Vietnamese football, but also a special case in world football. In 1971, at the age of 37, he joined Thanh Hoa Police FC. In the 1972 National Championship, he still scored 48 goals and became the top scorer. That year, he was 39 years old and still scoring regularly. From a professional standpoint, for a striker, that was an... unbelievable achievement.

Despite his youth, health, talent, and fame, Văn Sỹ Chi's football skills in the 1970s couldn't provide for his already struggling family, which became even more difficult with the birth of five children. He achieved fame through football, but his entire family suffered because of it.

1972 was also the year Van Sy Son was born, followed by Van Sy Thuy (born in 1974) and Van Sy Linh (born in 1980). Sy Son and his siblings all began their football careers in Thanh Hoa province. During this period, Mr. Chi's family faced numerous difficulties. His wife, Mrs. Viet, had to quit her job to become a rice trader. Food was scarce back then, but thanks to his mother's work, the Van Sy brothers could eat as much as they wanted and play football. After much deliberation, Mr. Chi decided to open an eyewear shop to earn extra money to support his children and help his wife.

1991 marked a major turning point in the story of the Van Sy family. Mrs. Viet coincidentally met the trio of Thanh Vinh, Hong Thanh, and Mr. Duc, and they suggested that her sons play for SLNA Club. Two days later, Sy Son and his younger brother Sy Thuy were brought to Vinh by their mother for a trial. After only a week of trials, the two brothers were accepted into the team by Mr. Ho Van Chiem. Because of their hometown connection, their youngest son, Van Sy Linh (born in 1980), also joined SLNA Club. The family left only their eldest son, Van Sy Ngoc, in Thanh Hoa, to continue playing for Thanh Hoa Police.

Mr. Van Sy Chi had five children in total: Van Sy Ngoc, Van Sy Hung, Van Sy Thuy, Van Sy Son, and Van Sy Linh. All five played professional football. Among them, the trio of Van Sy Hung, Van Sy Thuy, and Van Sy Son once dominated Vietnamese football. (Photo: Archival material)

That decision by the SLNA leadership was a turning point, giving a son of Nghe An, who had achieved success in the capital, the opportunity to contribute to his homeland. Returning to Nghe An, Van Sy Chi took on the role of youth development. In 1992, SLNA began establishing its youth training program, and in 1996, Mr. Chi was one of the pioneers who laid the foundation for the prosperity of youth football in the province.

He has distilled his experience from over 20 years of playing football and passed it on to young players. The "seeds" he nurtured have contributed to Vietnamese football across the country, including Âu Văn Hoàn, Ngô Hoàng Thịnh, and Sầm Ngọc Đức…

Mr. Nguyen Hong Phong - former Chairman of the SLNA Supporters' Club - recounted: “Mr. Chi was a special coach; he was unlike other coaches. His training methods were simple but incredibly effective. For example, for the first 10 days, he only had the young players practice juggling the ball, then for the next 10 days, practicing inside-of-the-foot shots, and for the following 10 days, practicing outside-of-the-foot shots, to the point that those skills, which were once boring, became proficient techniques later on. Speaking of Mr. Chi means speaking of his silent but immense contributions to Vietnamese football in general and SLNA in particular.”

Former football star Van Sy Chi's life in his old age still revolves around his family and football. Most of his sons have become legends of SLNA and are now well-known figures in youth and professional football. Van Sy Chi's family deserves to be considered a role model for Vietnamese football in terms of tradition and dedication to the sport.

When he was still healthy, whenever SLNA played at home, Mr. Chi would go to Vinh Stadium. He went to the stadium to chat with his old friends about local football, helping him relive the heroic atmosphere of his youth. The happiness of this former teacher now is seeing local football continue to thrive, with the younger generation carrying on the traditions of their ancestors.

At the age of 80, the "giant" of Vietnamese football, the father of legends, and the first mentor of countless generations of players, has passed away. It can be said that former star player Van Sy Chi left behind a glorious and cherished history for Vietnamese football. Football is the pride of the people of Nghe An province, and Vietnamese fans have remembered for decades an outstanding striker, a father who devoted himself wholeheartedly to his family and his entire life to the sport.

Graphics: Trung Kien

Van Sy Son: Truly worthy of being the son of a scholar!

(Baonghean.vn) - The Van Sy brothers have both experienced moments of triumph but also tasted the bitterness in their careers. After pursuing football to the end, they each went their separate ways. Now, Van Sy Son has made his mark as an assistant coach at Hanoi FC.