Concerns about decline?

(Baonghean) - For many years now, in youth tournaments, if SLNA participates, they are always a contender for the championship.

Teams are wary of facing players from the SLNA youth academy. However, with the rise of youth training centers like Viettel, VPF, HAGL, and Hanoi T&T, SLNA faces fierce competition in player selection right from the start. Knowing that Nghe An is a breeding ground for football talent, youth academies have sought out players through various means. Through district and city-level tournaments, district sports centers, summer football camps, or direct selection rounds, youth training centers outside the province have recruited a significant number of young Nghe An football talents. This means SLNA no longer has the "monopoly" in talent recruitment as it once did. Regarding this matter, Mr. Nguyen Hong Thanh, Chairman of SLNA Football Club, said: “In today's times, this is unavoidable, as more and more youth football training centers are emerging with very good benefits for athletes. These centers are heavily invested in financially, so they have recruitment programs throughout the country. With a flexible mechanism, these centers find every way to approach and attract young talents.”

SLNA U17 players (left) during a play in the semi-final of the National U17 Championship. Photo: bongdaplus

Furthermore, while other training academies receive substantial investment, even collaborating with overseas youth training centers to provide the most scientific and modern training programs, SLNA still adheres to the old practice of "older brothers passing on experience to younger ones." This has led to SLNA increasingly losing its position in youth training. The clearest evidence is in youth tournaments, where, after once dominating, they were eliminated in the group stage of both the U19 and U15 national championships this year. At the U17 national championship – where SLNA has won seven times – they were also eliminated in the semi-finals this year...

Many have questioned: "Is SLNA's youth development program in decline?" This is partly true, considering recent youth tournaments and SLNA's investment in youth development. However, looking at the first team competing in the V.League, SLNA remains the most distinctive team and has reaped many rewards from its youth development program, with most of its players being homegrown talents.

With the trend of investment in youth training centers nationwide and their rise in recent tournaments, if SLNA does not make improvements and invest in youth training, sooner or later, its football "specialty" - "the pride of Nghe An" - will lose its position on the Vietnamese football map.

Duc Dung