V. League 2023-2024: New Strength and Ambition

As many people know, according to the plan, the V.League 2023-2024 season will start from October 20, 2023 to July 6, 2024, meaning it will span two years, as has been the practice in world football for a long time.

In fact, a mass movement of coaches in various directions and to different destinations has been underway for some time now. Teams like Binh Dinh and Da Nang have replaced their old coaches and will be rushing to recruit new ones. The 2023 V.League champions, Hanoi Police, who have frequently changed coaches, will likely be looking for a suitable strategist to fulfill their duties, alongside some positions that are considered to be unbalanced in terms of skill and ability compared to their teammates.

The biggest change is the influx and departure of players from various teams. Teams that rely heavily on sponsors, and are currently facing difficulties, such as Binh Dinh and Song Lam Nghe An, are "allowing" many key players to leave, alongside players whose contracts have expired, to make room for young players with more manageable salaries, bonuses, and benefits. Two strong teams like Nam Dinh (which has maintained its strength since last season) and Binh Duong (recently resurgent) are also allowing the replacement of many old players deemed unsuitable, and are searching for new, promising talents to serve their new ambitions.

Previously, the phrase "talent drain" was often associated with Song Lam Nghe An's player transfers, but now, this is affecting many other teams. Hoang Anh Gia Lai is not poor, but it lacks the ambition it once had, and ultimately, the "disintegration" process is happening as we know. Even the "newly rich" Binh Dinh, which recently acquired a series of talented coaches and players, is now facing difficulties, with both coaches and players leaving one after another, like coach Duc Thang, foreign player Rafaelson, and even Van Lam is on the verge of departure… Thanh Hoa is considered successful under coach Popov, but even the team couldn't retain Minh Tung or Thanh Long…

Ultimately, the "water flows to the lowest point" or "if you can't buy it with money, you can buy it with more money" rule is becoming increasingly evident in the V.League. Ngoc Hai's decision to choose Binh Duong, with its ample financial resources, instead of joining Hanoi Police or Hong Linh Ha Tinh is a prime example. It's no coincidence that a whole host of national team players have "joined forces" at Hanoi Police. Looking at the world, this is even more undeniable, as they do this daily like shopping, with prices skyrocketing. The phenomenon of "hundred-million-pound" players no longer surprises or shocks anyone, even though their quality remains a huge question mark.

Of course, the aforementioned positive and significant developments in the V.League are welcome and something to look forward to. The quality of the players and their ambitions, the use of VAR, the increased number of overseas Vietnamese players and young players… are all factors that ensure the quality of the league. The V.League is no longer just a story revolving around the three Hanoi teams; could it soon include Binh Duong or Nam Dinh?

Fans will have more options to watch matches, even if they have to pay. Professional football offers sky-high salaries and bonuses, so free matches and televised broadcasts will become a thing of the past. Some stadiums will see fewer spectators than usual, such as Nam Dinh, Vinh, Pleiku, and Quy Nhon… Worryingly, sponsors and businesses seem largely unconcerned about the fans' frustrations, and the story in Nam Dinh is a rather unpleasant example. The long, drawn-out home and away matches could also provide fertile ground for some remaining amateurish behavior, especially unscrupulous alliances and group attacks…

However, according to Mr. Bandovic, head coach of Hanoi FC and a former best coach in both the V.League and Thai League, despite its many strengths, the V.League still lags behind its neighbor Thailand in quality, especially considering Thailand competes in three leagues (Vietnam only has two: the National Championship and the National Cup), allowing the registration of six world-class players, one Asian player, and three Southeast Asian players. The current V.League only allows the registration of 3-4 foreign players, one naturalized player, and one overseas Vietnamese player. In the current competitive environment, the attractiveness, competitiveness, and ultimately the quality of matches and the league itself in the V.League still require significant improvement and upgrading.

It's clear that, despite accelerating progress and improving quality, the V.League still lags behind the world and the region in many aspects, although the gap is gradually narrowing. The most hopeful aspect is that Philippe Troussier's work with the U23 and Vietnam national teams will truly inspire each player to strive for excellence, spreading that passion to every team, and practically serving the challenging World Cup goal that Vietnamese football is seriously pursuing, giving it a greater chance of becoming a reality than ever before. The 2023-2024 V.League is certainly worth discussing and anticipating because of this deep-seated and specific reason.