Song Lam Nghe An aims for high achievements in the senior youth teams.

A reporter from Nghe An Newspaper had a conversation with Mr. Tran Quang Dung - Director of the Song Lam Nghe An Youth Football Training Center - to better understand the center's new direction.

PV: At the start of the 2025 season, the U19 teamLam River, Nghe AnHe won the Silver Medal – an achievement considered to have exceeded expectations. How do you assess this result?

Mr. Tran Quang Dung:Over the past two years, Song Lam Nghe An has undergone a significant shift in its approach to youth development. We have decided to prioritize investment in older age groups rather than focusing too much on achievements in the younger U-teams. Therefore, the U19 team winning the Silver Medal fulfills the center's expectations and perfectly aligns with the new direction the club is pursuing.

PV: Following the success of the U19 tournament, a series of youth tournaments such as U9, U13, U15, U17, and U21 will be held throughout this year. How has the center prepared for this packed schedule of competitions?

Mr. Tran Quang Dung:Except for the U11 team, which is unable to participate due to disciplinary action from the Vietnam Football Federation, all SLNA teams (U9, U13, U15, U17, and U21) will be present. However, this year we are adopting a different strategy. For younger age groups like U9, U13, and U15, the goal is not medals, but rather to provide opportunities for the children to compete, gain experience, and hone their skills.

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We are focusing our investment on the U17 and U21 teams.

Mr. Tran Quang Dung - Director of Song Lam Nghe An Youth Football Training Center

Conversely, we prioritize investment in the U17 and U21 teams. Experienced and highly qualified coaches were assigned early, and well-structured training programs were developed to suit the physical condition and skill level of each player. The center's leadership also regularly monitors and supervises the training process to ensure that the teams are best prepared before entering the tournament.

PV:Could you share more about the difficulties SLNA faced when resolutely "saying no to age fraud," especially in building its squad?

Mr. Tran Quang Dung:We have instilled the spirit of "saying no to negativity" throughout the entire training system. The review and elimination of age fraud has been carried out seriously and thoroughly. At this point, it can be confirmed that there are no overage players in SLNA's youth teams.

We clearly understand that long-term development cannot be sacrificed for short-term success. Youth tournaments should be seen as a "football festival," where players compete at their appropriate age and level, receiving systematic and scientific training.

PV:In fact, Song Lam Nghe An no longer uses outdated training methods to chase short-term results, but instead pursues a longer-term strategy aimed at providing quality players for the first team and creating an effective resource for the national team. So, could you share some of the new training methods at the SLNA Youth Football Training Center?

Mr. Tran Quang Dung:This is the right direction. SLNA no longer uses harsh training methods such as forcing young players to run long distances, do strength training, or play competitive matches like adults. Those exercises could damage the physical and mental health of the children.

Currently, we develop training plans tailored to each age group, even personalizing them with specific exercises to ensure holistic development. At the same time, instead of relying solely on coaches based on past experience, we prioritize coaches with formal training and a deep understanding of modern sports science. This will help players develop physically in a sustainable way, ready to excel at the U17 or U19 age group, rather than experiencing a premature rise followed by a decline in performance as in the past.

PV:With that significant investment, what are your expectations for the U17 and U21 teams this season?

Mr. Tran Quang Dung:Of the five youth tournaments taking place this summer, we have the highest expectations for the U17 and U21 teams. The U21 tournament will start early and finish in July. However, this year's U21 squad faces many difficulties because the players are distributed among various clubs from the V-League to the Second Division, limiting the time available for training and team cohesion.

Furthermore, some key players like Quang Vinh, Long Vu, and Cao Van Binh will have to focus on the Vietnam U22 team, leading to a depleted squad. Nevertheless, we still aim for a medal at the U21 tournament, and see this as an opportunity to discover new talents for the SLNA first team and the national teams.

For the U17 team, this year the tournament has lowered the age limit to players under 16 years old to facilitate the selection process for the Vietnam U17 national team participating in the U17 Asian qualifiers at the end of the year. We have carefully planned our investment in this team, with the goal of winning medals and having at least a few players called up to the national U17 team.

PV:So, what is the overall goal of the SLNA Youth Football Training Center in 2025?

Mr. Tran Quang Dung:According to the training contract with the Provincial People's Committee, the center must win a set of medals at national youth competitions. However, this will be very difficult this year because the two teams that were once strong points, U11 and U13, are at a disadvantage. The U11 team is banned from competing, and the U13 team no longer has the physical advantage it once had.

Therefore, we shifted our focus to the senior teams. Specifically, the U17 and U21 teams must win medals, and we set a target of having at least 4 U17 players called up to the Vietnam U17 national team, and 5 U21 players called up to the national U22 team. This is the measure of the center's training effectiveness this year.

PV:Thank you for sharing!