For a decade, SLNA has become a 'transit station' for foreign players in V.League.

SLNA fans are too familiar with seeing a former foreign player of SLNA join and play extremely well for the new team. Over the years, many good foreign players have been discovered by the team, but why can't they keep them and why do they have to spend time selecting them every year?

The most recent case is that of foreign player Damir Memovic, a central defender born in 1989, who was the cornerstone of SLNA's defense last season. He played 25 matches, contributing greatly to SLNA's solid defense in the V.League with only 26 goals conceded and 11 clean sheets. Memovic and Nguyen Manh are the two players that Fox Sports and Goal magazine ranked in the typical lineup of the season.

However, because he only signed a 1-year contract with SLNA, right after the season ended, the Serbian foreign player joined HAGL Club. In the past, naturalized player Nguyen Hoang Helio, after winning the 2011 V.League with SLNA, also joined HAGL.

Foreign player Memovic has arrived at HAGL. Photo: VPF

Not only Memovic, Michael Olaha also left the Nghe An team after 3 years of association, but the Nigerian player was only signed for a one-year contract. Perhaps the player born in 1996 is a rare case that SLNA re-signed for a third year.

Last season, striker Jeremie Lynch joined SLNA in phase 2 of V.League 2018. At a time when the Nghe An team was gradually regaining form, Jeremie Lynch contributed 4 goals for SLNA in 10 appearances, contributing significantly to the unbeaten record last season.

At the end of V.League 2018, this player said goodbye to SLNA and joined Hai Phong Club. Coming to the Hai Phong team, Jeremie Lynch played with Diego Fagan, also a very high-quality former foreign player of SLNA.

Foreign player Jeremie Lynch is a hard-to-find striker in V.League at the moment. Photo: Thanh Cuong

In V.League 2011, Diego Fagan, along with Kavin, Devon and Edmund, was the quartet of assassins for coach Huu Thang. This Jamaican striker scored 10 goals in 26 matches for SLNA. However, he was later recruited by Hai Phong and signed a long-term contract.

After 6 seasons playing for Hai Phong, Diego Fagan became a killer on the attack line and a mainstay in the team's attack. Meanwhile, Jeremie Lynch scored 10 goals for Hai Phong after 18 matches.

This Jamaican striker not only has an ideal height (1m85) but also has the ability to finish very well with his right foot. This is something that SLNA's coaching board easily recognized when this striker came to try out. The former player Jeremie Lynch shining in Hai Phong is quite a pity for SLNA when in the 2019 season, strikers Marcio Alves and Joel Vinicius both left disappointment.

Foreign player Abass also left SLNA after only 1 year of playing. Photo: Webthethao

The most regrettable is still Dieng Abass, the leading striker of B. Binh Duong, who started his career in the Hungarian National Championship in 2008. Joining SLNA in 2012, Abass played 26 matches and scored 10 goals. This is the first year the Senegalese striker has played in Vietnam, so this is still considered an unimpressive achievement.

However, Thanh Hoa Club recruited him and he became a fearsome goalscorer in the Thanh Hoa team's jersey. When Abass's contract with Thanh Hoa expired, Coach Huu Thang wanted to call this player back to SLNA, although Abass agreed with SLNA's head coach, because of disagreements in contract terms, Abass could not return.

Finally, after joining a big team like B. Binh Duong, Abass showed a brilliant performance with 18 goals in the 2014 season and 11 goals in the following season.

SLNA foreign players when they come for a trial. Photo: Duc Anh

Abass's case is somewhat similar to Hector Kerin's. This player came to SLNA in 2012, wanted to continue to be with SLNA, accepted a salary reduction and lower signing bonus and treatment than other teams but was still not retained.

Willis Plaza, a former player of Navibank Saigon, came to play for SLNA in 2013. That year, he scored 4 goals for SLNA in 18 matches. Willis Plaza also played for a team in the Belgian second division.

This year in the I.League (India), he scored 21 goals in 20 matches for Churchill Brothers. Obviously, SLNA has the ability to find quality foreign players, but it costs money to try them out and spend a lot of time testing them because of the habit of replacing too many foreign players.

SLNA "disbanded" after V.League 2019. Photo: VPF

To find quality foreign players, SLNA has to welcome 20-30 foreign players for trial, just the cost of accommodation and airfare for these players is a huge amount of money. And it is not always possible to find quality foreign players at affordable prices.

In fact, SLNA scouts are capable of finding good foreign players if they have the funds. And SLNA is also a team where foreign players can develop their abilities because they play in a team with a quality domestic squad.

A problem in foreign player work has reflected the vicious cycle of SLNA. Finding good foreign players is difficult, keeping these players when signing short-term contracts is even more difficult. It is time for SLNA to change to avoid waste, leaving disappointment for fans and even the trust of sponsors.

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