'Lifetime contract' and Song Lam Nghe An's way of doing it

Accordingly, the player born in 1997 has signed to play for his hometown team until 2026, that is, until he is 29 years old, which means he will play and dedicate his entire career to this Central team. It is known that this is the longest contract, accompanied by the highest salary and signing bonus of a Vietnamese player at this time?

Surely this is a strong, welcome move, worth the money of T. Binh Dinh and Tan Tai. This can only be achieved with a club with potential, vision and ambition, with a player who has a "reputation" in the football world and has deep love and faith in his hometown team.

Defender Tran Dinh Hoang, with his experience and courage, will be an important link for SLNA in the new season. Photo: D.A

In the past, Vietnamese football has not been rare for players to play their entire lives with their hometown team or with a team that "gave birth" and "raised" that player. However, they were in a period when football was not/was not professional, the value of player transfers had not been defined or they were in a team with little potential and ambition, so the contracts were often short-term and opened up opportunities for players to seek more profitable contracts with other teams.

Of course, many players now want to stay with the team for a long time and the team also wants to keep them. That will lead to negotiating and signing new, more suitable contracts. Only so far, Tan Tai's contract with T. Binh Dinh is truly a "blockbuster" contract in the football world, creating a new symbol for the team and a very remarkable suggestion for many potential teams, including SLNA.

Phan Van Duc has agreed to re-sign with SLNA on a 3-year contract. Photo courtesy of Duc Anh

Everyone knows for a long time,SLNAis the leading football talent training center and is still maintaining that tradition. Many young talents who grew up here have served SLNA, many of them signed and extended their playing contracts because of their love for their hometown team and the team needed their service and dedication. But there are still unfortunate cases where the team lacks resources and is helpless to see their beloved child go to another richer team, such as the case of Trong Hoang playing for Viettel at the last minute 3 years ago.

And if SLNA still follows the "old story" then Van Duc, Xuan Manh... are now preparing to play for a powerful team in a legitimate and necessary way, still loved by Nghe An fans even though their hearts are filled with unspeakable sorrows as seen with Ngoc Hai, Khac Ngoc or before that Cong Vinh, Hong Son...

Previously, SLNA had a good way of focusing on keeping a key player for the team, not letting them be disadvantaged compared to those who moved to richer teams. The next problem is that when that contract ends, a new, more difficult story arises and the team has to… give up?

Young players practice with SLNA team 1. Photo courtesy of Duc Anh

With the team's new potential and ambition, will the contracts just signed with Van Duc, Xuan Manh and many other players continue to be extended, renewed, to actually be "lifetime contracts" like Tan Tai signed with T. Binh Dinh but in the way SLNA does?

And in another case, perhaps SLNA should also put everything in sight, that is young player Xuan Tien, born in 2003? Hopefully, in V. League 2022, Coach Huy Hoang will arrange many opportunities for young players, including Xuan Tien.

Don’t expect things to be easy, but don’t be too cautious to let the opportunities of young talents slip away. The fact that the team called back Ngoc Hai, Trong Hoang, Dinh Hoang is of course good news when SLNA fell to the bottom of the table and the bottom of disappointment in the last tournament. But that means that some opportunities for young talents are narrowed. Solving this problem is the job of the coaching staff, not easy but not impossible.

There will be many big changes for SLNA Club in the new season. Photo courtesy of Duc Anh

Every team needs a leader in the locker room and on the field. The move to sign a lifetime contract is part of the mission to build and affirm the role of a leader and symbol of the team, inspiring and motivating teammates not just for a few seasons. SLNA is no stranger to this good way of doing things, but it is clear that Vietnamese professional football is taking bold, unexpected steps to move forward, forcing the team to consult, learn and find a breakthrough way, if they do not want to be left behind regrettably?