Increasing the number of foreign players in V.League: A look at the practical situation.

At the recent VPF conference, several clubs proposed increasing the number of foreign players registered per team to 4-5, and using 3 foreign players on the field instead of the current 3. Additionally, there were proposals for First Division clubs to also use 1 foreign player, increasing the number of teams participating in the V.League to 16 instead of 14, and increasing the number of teams participating in the First Division…

Overall, increasing the number of foreign players in the V.League will naturally help teams become more competitive in continental competitions. At the same time, it will give Vietnamese players the opportunity to gain experience and play alongside high-level players, thus improving the professional quality of the league.

However, the drawback of this is that it will place financial pressure on many clubs and disrupt the balance of the league, especially for clubs that are focusing on youth development and creating opportunities for talented players. Clearly, increasing the number of foreign players will also significantly reduce opportunities for young Vietnamese talents, due to the gap in skill level, physical attributes, and pressure to achieve results.

In developed football nations, before considering opening their doors to foreign players, they have already achieved balance and a sufficiently strong youth football system. That is, once the foundation of a house is solid, welcoming players from many countries to compete is entirely beneficial.

On the other hand, the quality of the foreign players who come to the club... Vietnamese footballThe recent period has truly been a big question mark. Too many clubs have suffered losses due to poor-quality foreign players, yet salaries and signing bonuses remain exorbitant, while investment in facilities, youth development, and coaching staff still depends on or is very limited by the budget.

For example, in Thailand, the Thai League is open to foreign players, but Thai youth players have many more opportunities to play and develop compared to Vietnamese talents. In fact, the Thai League is focusing on opening its doors to Southeast Asian players, attracting regional stars to play and helping to improve the quality of the league, while still controlling the number of foreign players from Europe, Africa, America, etc.

Specifically, each Thai League team will be allowed to register a maximum of 7 foreign players, with no limit on the number of players from Southeast Asia. A maximum of 5 foreign players and 2 Southeast Asian players will be allowed on the field.

In Japan, one of the most developed football nations in Asia, the country has a strong foundation in youth training and countless young talents who are nurtured and given opportunities early on, but it also has specific policies tailored to their development.

Specifically, J.League teams were previously only allowed to register a maximum of 4 foreign players, including 3 unlimited foreign players and 1 player from Southeast Asia. However, since 2021, the J.League has decided to remove the limit on the number of foreign players each team can register. J.League teams are now allowed to register an unlimited number of foreign players, but the number of foreign players on the field at the same time cannot exceed 5.

Most Japanese clubs focus primarily on attracting stars from Southeast Asia and South Korea, and rarely use foreign players without restrictions. This stems from their commitment to developing and nurturing young talent. Many clubs only use players they have trained themselves, yet they still perform just as well as clubs in Asia that boast a large number of foreign players.

Recently, Nam Dinh Green Steel Club, despite having 7-8 foreign players on the field, was completely outmatched by Hiroshima Club of Japan, which only had 1 foreign player. In the domestic league, this club has 1 Brazilian foreign player, 1 German foreign player, 1 French foreign player, and 1 South Korean goalkeeper. Similarly, like many other clubs, although there is no limit on the number of foreign players, no club has registered more than 5 players. The reason is quite simple: foreign players coming to Japan are not much better than Japanese players.

Therefore, increasing the number of foreign players is inevitable, and naturally requires integration and openness in the future. The important question is whether all V.League teams have truly focused on youth development, preparing the necessary financial resources, and developing high-quality domestic players to confidently welcome more foreign players. If the number of registered foreign players increases but teams still prefer to buy players and rely on ready-made talent instead of training their own, it goes against the trend of football development. This is also why developed football nations around the world are pursuing financial fair play regulations.