Former football star Van Sy Chi: “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. Mr. Chi's life and football career began like the childhood of many other children. Not enough to eat, not enough to wear, but those were beautiful memories of football matches at the village communal house. The ball was made from banana peels, grapefruit, the football field was the communal house yard, the goal was made of whitewashed bamboo poles under the moonlight.

Going back to history, after the world-shaking Dien Bien Phu victory in 1954, the North was completely liberated. And this was also the time when the cultural and sports front was developed. In 1958, Mr. Van Sy Chi joined the army and played amateur football in Division 335.

The soldiers of that time were tough but extremely romantic, they named the team Bong Lau. At the 1959 Army Championship, the name Van Sy Chi first surprised those who witnessed this soldier play because of his natural scoring talent and technique. Making an impressive debut, he was introduced to the Army Football Team at that time by former player Ngo Xuan Quynh, a former player of the first generation of The Cong (from Hung Nguyen, Nghe An). In the first match playing for The Cong, Mr. Chi was very sad because he had to be a reserve and wore the number 13 shirt.

But after entering the field, striker Van Sy Chi scored 5 goals. Since then, the number 10 shirt belonged to him and the number 10 shirt has been associated with the name Van Sy Chi for 20 years. In the quartet "Tien - Nhi - Chi - Ut", Mr. Van Sy Chi is the main scorer of The Cong. Not only dominating all over the Northern football fields, when going on international duty, Van Sy Chi and his teammates created resounding victories.

Mr. Chi and his teammates played the first two international matches, the match against Beijing Youth (China) lost 1-2, the match against Bat Nhat (Chinese Army) - the team that won the Chinese Army Championship for 7 years, Mr. Chi scored the only goal to help Vietnam win 1-0. No one could believe it was true when they received a phone call. Also in a friendly match against Bat Nhat in Vietnam, Mr. Chi scored the first goal of the match. Those were the most beautiful and unforgettable years in the life of former famous player Van Sy Chi.

In the book “I am a The Cong football player”, football expert Vu Manh Hai (Former Editor-in-Chief of Football newspaper), the next generation of former famous player Van Sy Chi in the most traditional football team of Vietnam - The Cong used special words to talk about Mr. Chi as a monument, a “genius” of Vietnamese football in the 20th century.

The Cong Club during its years of dominating the world had 4 people who were called the "legendary quartet": Tien - Nhi - Chi - Ut. Chi here is Mr. Van Sy Chi. When mentioning that quartet, the previous generation remembers something extremely strong, fiery and outstanding.

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

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

Specifically, in 1963, The Cong Club participated in the Socialist Countries Army Football Tournament in Czechoslovakia. On the way back, the team stopped by the former Soviet Union, right at the time the Socialist Countries Army Shooting Tournament was taking place, but the Vietnamese athlete was sick, so Mr. Van Sy Chi volunteered to shoot instead.

In 30 rounds of lying, kneeling, standing. One bullet of the Soviet athlete (formerly) strayed into the Vietnamese target and so Van Sy Chi won the gold medal, was awarded a large box of Ponzot watches. He only chose two, the rest were divided among his teammates.

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

Youthful and healthy, talented and famous, but that football talent in the 70s could not help Van Sy Chi ensure that his already difficult family life became even more difficult when 5 children were born. Mr. Chi became famous thanks to football, but his whole family suffered because of football.

1972 was also the year that 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 started their football careers in Thanh Hoa. During this period, Mr. Chi's family lived in a difficult situation, his wife, Viet, had to quit her job to sell rice. At that time, food was very difficult, but thanks to their mother's job, Van Sy's brothers could eat freely and play football. As for Mr. Chi, after much thought, he decided to open an optical shop, selling glasses to earn more money to raise his children and support his wife.

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

Mr. Van Sy Chi has a total of 5 children: Van Sy Ngoc, Van Sy Hung, Van Sy Thuy, Van Sy Son and Van Sy Linh. All 5 play professional football. Among them, the trio Van Sy Hung - Van Sy Thuy - Van Sy Son once dominated the Vietnamese football scene. Photo: Document

That decision of SLNA leadership was a turning point that helped a son of Nghe An, who became famous in the capital, have the opportunity to contribute to his homeland. Returning to Nghe An, Van Sy Chi took charge of youth training. In 1992, SLNA began to form youth training and in 1996, Mr. Chi was one of the people who laid the foundation for the prosperity of youth football in the province.

The experiences he gained during more than 20 years of playing football have been summarized and passed on to young players. The "seeds" he "planted" have been contributing to Vietnamese football all over the country such as: Au Van Hoan, Ngo Hoang Thinh, Sam Ngoc Duc...

Mr. Nguyen Hong Phong - former Chairman of SLNA Fan Club said: "Mr. Chi is a special teacher, he is not like other coaches. His training method is monotonous but extremely effective. For example, during the first 10 days, he only taught the young players to juggle the ball, 10 days later to practice kicking the inside of the ball, 10 days later to practice kicking the outside of the ball to the point that those skills went from being boring to becoming proficient skills and techniques later. Talking about Mr. Chi is talking about his silent, great contributions to Vietnamese football in general and SLNA in particular."

The old age of the former football star Van Sy Chi still revolves around family and football. Most of his sons have become legends of SLNA and are now famous young and professional football players. Mr. Van Sy Chi's family deserves to be a model of Vietnamese football in terms of football tradition and football work.

When he was still healthy, every time SLNA played at home, Mr. Chi would go to Vinh Stadium. Going to the stadium was to chat with old friends about hometown football, helping him relive the heroic atmosphere of his youth. The happiness of the former teacher now is to see hometown football still exist forever, the young generation continuing the tradition of their ancestors.

At the age of 80, the "big tree" of Vietnamese football, the father of legends, the first teacher of many generations of players has passed away. It can be said that former famous player Van Sy Chi has left Vietnamese football a glorious and precious history. Football is the pride of the people of Nghe An and Vietnamese fans for decades have always remembered an outstanding striker, a father who devoted his life to his family and his football career.

Graphics: Trung Kien

Van Sy Son: As expected of a son of a Van Sy family!

(Baonghean.vn) - The Van Sy brothers have both experienced moments of sublimation but also tasted enough bitterness in their careers. Following football to the end, each went their separate ways. Now, Van Sy Son has made his mark in the role of assistant coach at Hanoi Club.