"To say that Vietnamese football is all darkness is a one-sided view."

While acknowledging that the VFF and V-League have shortcomings, Mr. Pham Thanh Hung disagrees with the view that Vietnamese football has hit rock bottom.

"The V-League in particular, and Vietnamese football in general, still have a lot of room for improvement; that's undeniable. But we should offer constructive criticism, not just condemn everything. Saying Vietnamese football is at rock bottom and the V-League is all darkness is biased and denies the contributions of those of us who invest money in football, as well as the players."If everything were perfect, our league would already be the Premier League.", Chairman of Quang Ninh Club Pham Thanh Hung shared.

Mr. Pham Thanh Hung (in the red shirt) believes that in order to improve Vietnamese football, we first need to have a correct understanding of the situation.

On August 15th, 100 former Vietnamese players and referees submitted a collective petition to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Nguyen Ngoc Thien. They argued that Vietnamese football has hit rock bottom, and the V-League is a dark and corrupt arena…

"Contributing suggestions for the common good is valuable, but I don't support suggestions driven by personal motives or group interests. I know there are many opportunists out there who slander each other. For example, last year I felt sorry for the low income of women's football and donated 500 million VND, with proper receipts and documentation. Yet, some people deliberately concealed the money and accused me of bribing the VFF (Vietnam Football Federation). Who would want to support them after that?" the head of Quang Ninh Club added.

Mr. Hung stated that, in addition to its shortcomings, the V-League also has positive aspects. For example, a series of referees who committed violations have been disciplined recently, shirt sponsors are starting to approach clubs, and with only three rounds left in the season, the championship race is still undecided with five teams neck and neck...

Quang Ninh is leading the V-League 2016. Furthermore, the team boasts a large fan base, with every match at Cam Pha Stadium being packed with spectators. “Don’t blame the VFF entirely for the lack of fans attending matches. They only organize the events; they can’t force teams to play in a certain way. The teams themselves, the owners, and the players are ultimately responsible. If we play beautifully, cleanly, and with dedication, the fans will come to the stadium. That’s our secret,” Mr. Hung revealed.

Mr. Le Nguyen Hong supports the VFF's use of young, capable players.

Mr. Le Nguyen Hong, Chairman of Quang Nam Club, also expressed his frustration with the view that Vietnamese football is at rock bottom and everything is bleak.He particularly disagreed with the proposal for the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to intervene in the VFF (Vietnam Football Federation) because it would violate FIFA regulations, potentially leading to Vietnamese national teams being banned from international competitions, causing serious consequences. “Offering suggestions to improve Vietnamese football while simultaneously proposing solutions that violate FIFA regulations is unacceptable. And saying that Vietnamese football is at rock bottom is biased and lacks objectivity. Suggestions for the benefit of Vietnamese football require a pure heart,” Mr. Le Nguyen Hong shared.

“Compared to the previous term, this term of the VFF has accomplished many commendable things. We used to be familiar with the saying that Vietnamese football builds a house from the roof down, but now we are building from the foundation. For example, the VFF focuses on youth training, requiring clubs to have four youth teams and participate in at least three national tournaments, otherwise they will be penalized. In addition, youth teams such as U16, U17, and U19 are invested in overseas training and have achieved considerable success, such as reaching the Asian Championship finals… Furthermore, the VFF is also decisive in forcing clubs to upgrade their stadiums. For example, the stadiums of Hai Phong, Quang Nam, and Quang Ninh have been improved and no longer have potholes like before.”

According to statistics from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), the past two years have been a period of significant achievements for Vietnamese football, especially at the youth level. For the first time, all national youth teams from U16, U19 to U23 have qualified for the Asian Championship finals; the men's national team won a bronze medal at the AFF Cup after four years without a medal; the U23 team won a bronze medal at the SEA Games for the first time in six years; the Olympic team reached the quarterfinals as group winners at the ASIAD; and for the first time in history, the futsal team qualified for the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016 finals... Women's football also saw a resurgence with a top 4 finish at the ASIAD and being the only Southeast Asian women's team to reach the final qualifying round of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

While these aren't necessarily prestigious titles, the fact that a number of youth teams have been competing abroad and achieving recent success is a positive development. Photo: MFF.

Responding to the suggestion that those working at the VFF must have football expertise, Mr. Hong countered: “Management is very different from playing. For example, club owners aren't necessarily former players, yet they still do well. At FIFA, historically, few presidents have come from a football background. It's not true that being a good footballer automatically makes you a good football manager; that's a misconception. I hope many people will offer suggestions to help Vietnamese football progress, but it must be with genuine dedication to the national sport, not to tarnish or deny everything to serve personal agendas,” the head of Quang Nam Club added.

According to an anonymous expert, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) is no longer like the subsidy era where it only used budget funds to organize matches. Instead, it operates like a company that must conduct business, manage internal and external affairs to generate revenue to support football, in addition to formulating strategies and fighting for the rights of Vietnamese football on the international stage. Therefore, the head of this organization must be someone who knows the job, not just someone with pure football expertise as suggested by former players.

Former football legend and coach Tran Duy Long asserted that Vietnamese football has great potential, as the youth training system is no longer concentrated in just a few major cities as before, but has spread to many localities. "After many years, we now have foreign technical directors or fitness experts, and a consistent direction and plan for the national teams... These are commendable achievements for the VFF," he said. "As for the lack of professionalism in Vietnamese football, in my opinion, that's not solely the responsibility of the VFF, but also of the clubs, the players, and even the fans. The combination of these factors is what creates the foundation for professional football."

According to VNE