When Song Lam Nghe An... 'falls back into poverty'

Ultimately, this is both surprising and unsurprising given the process of Vietnamese football truly moving towards professionalism in general, and what is happening at Song Lam Nghe An in particular.

Surprisingly, players like Ngoc Hai, Trong Hoang, and Dinh Hoang were called back to serve their hometown team due to a new sponsor and new goals. They are considered to be committed to Song Lam Nghe An for the rest of their careers, meaning that after retirement they will continue to train young players and become professional coaches, following in the footsteps of their predecessors.

But unsurprisingly, and not at all unfamiliar, after what the club president said about proactively using young players, about terminating contracts with foreign players early in the second phase of the V-League recently, and about "winning is fine, losing is fine, but...", it was inevitable that high-paid key players would find it difficult to stay with the team (in reality, the team doesn't have the financial means to pay them high salaries). And in fact, that's happening to a team that thought it had escaped poverty after a new sponsor, but is now "falling back into poverty" after a few seasons, forced to use young, self-trained players as a last resort, with no other option.

In fact, in the V-League, the story of key players leaving has happened before at Hoang Anh Gia Lai, where the team has long been playing just for fun, with such talented players still having to "spend their youth just to avoid relegation." The difference is that the stars of the team from the mountain town, such as Cong Phuong, Van Toan, and a few other young talents, have gone abroad to play (whether they succeeded or failed, everyone knows), while Van Thanh, Hong Duy, Xuan Truong, Viet Hung, and soon even Tuan Anh, Quang Nho... are also leaving the Ham Rong headquarters one after another. Therefore, the story of Song Lam Nghe An is no longer unique or exceptional.

That's the everyday story of professional football, the age-old adage "water flows to the lowest point" in football leagues big and small. Even a football enthusiast like Mr. Duc, who's willing to spend money without hesitation, has to accept the departure of his "favorite children" to make way for others. So what's happening at the Vinh team seems insignificant in comparison!

The problem isLam River, Nghe AnWhat will they do, and how will they do it, after letting a series of key players leave? The Vinh-based team has the greatest advantage among all V-League teams: a rich and reputable youth training program, honed at all levels of club and national team, so they don't have to resort to patching up personnel like many other "nouveau riche" teams. Many young players currently called up to the Vietnam U23 team will certainly be called up to the first team; this is a certainty and a solid foundation.

The problem is that the club, which used to be successful in acquiring foreign players, has now become "hot-headed," meaning they've mainly bought low-quality, inferior players, making it increasingly difficult to compete with rivals. For many seasons, Song Lam Nghe An has placed considerable trust in their foreign player Olaha (who is currently still on the team), but this player has only achieved average results thanks to his dedication and commitment, and unfortunately, he has rarely found a compatible partner in attack. There are rumors that Song Lam Nghe An will reserve the remaining two foreign player positions for a central defender and a partner for Olaha in attack, a strategy the team has followed for decades.

It's difficult to expect the team to spend lavishly on high-quality foreign players like Lucao (who will be joining Hai Phong next season?), Rafael (currently playing for Hanoi Police), or Caion (Hanoi FC), because the team's "first and foremost - where's the money?" dilemma is that they can't even afford good domestic players, let alone foreign ones. The main question is, what are the team's goals for the 2023-2024 season? Whether it's simply "avoiding relegation" or finishing in the top 3 or top 5... is still unknown, but it will be a modest goal, not something to be overly ambitious at this point.

Ultimately, professional football, or the socialization of football, has been and continues to be the inevitable path, the path that teams like Hanoi FC, Viettel, and Hanoi Police have been following and succeeding on in recent years. The concerns, anxieties, and even desperate actions of fans from Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Binh Duong, Nam Dinh, and Song Lam Nghe An need to be seriously and carefully considered, but it's clear that V-League professional teams are being "funded" by the resources of their owners. Therefore, in the short or long term, everything is decided by these owners before anything else is considered…

The economy is going through a difficult period, so the ups and downs of businesses and football teams are inevitable. A deep love for football is necessary, but it's difficult to sustain teams that consume increasingly large sums of money in the fierce competition. Therefore, the "hot" story of Song Lam Nghe An is simply an inevitable continuation of Hoang Anh Gia Lai and many other "former champions" who struggled to avoid relegation, such as Binh Duong, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Frankly, despite many setbacks, Song Lam Nghe An hasn't been in the same dire straits as Nam Dinh, Dong Thap, Quang Nam, or Da Nang recently. It's strange that such a renowned youth training center, producing countless talented players, hasn't brought any financial benefits to the team. Perhaps, upon becoming a professional team, this is one of the most crucial goals for the team to continue excelling in youth development, building a strong brand, and producing high-quality, high-value players in the transfer market, ultimately sustaining the team and helping it escape poverty?