The first reason for sadness should be Thanh Hoa and Nghe An. Song Lam Nghe An is still struggling to survive despite the region producing many talented players for Vietnamese football. However, the lack of qualified players results in the club’s unstable performance. The goal of avoiding relegation remains within reach. It is depressing that the once renowned champion of the Vietnam League is now at the very bottom of the standings.
But the most depressing case is the story of the Thanh Hoa football club. They had only 17 registered players, of which only 14 were ready to play, yet Thanh Hoa fought until the last second and snatched a point from Nam Dinh in the 12th round. These 90 minutes were of great importance for a club teetering on the brink of collapse without salvation. They understood that before asking for help, they needed to overcome this test themselves. And they succeeded.
However, the hopes of the players who fought so bravely on the field were dashed when the Thanh Hoa Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism recently issued Document No. 611/SVHTTDL-QLTDTT in response to a request for financial and personnel support from Dong A Thanh Hoa Football Company Limited. According to the document, this enterprise operates in accordance with the Law on Enterprises and the Law on Physical Education and Sports, therefore the state governing body has no legal basis for providing financial or personnel support for organizing and holding competitions. The professional agency also suggested that the club actively mobilize legitimate social resources to support its activities and ensure sustainable development.
The difficulties faced by Thanh Hoa became apparent in late August 2025 when the club’s chairman, Cao Tien Doan, was prosecuted and temporarily detained to investigate irregularities related to accounting and asset auction activities. This event had a number of financial and personnel implications.
Many key players such as Que Ngoc Hai, Thai Son and Van Thuan left the team in search of new clubs. The club fell into debt on salaries and compensation, and also did not pay bonuses for matches. The team’s composition was significantly reduced.
After a draw with Nam Dinh on February 1, coach Mai Xuan Hop spoke candidly about the team’s problems: “All the players have families and their own lives, but the club is in debt on salaries and fees, and there are no bonuses. Players mainly rely on their morale, which is a huge disadvantage.” Like the coach, many of the team’s players took to social media to ask for support from businesses, fans and provincial leaders in this difficult situation.
In the V.League, many clubs found themselves in a situation similar to the current situation with Thanh Hoa, which led to their expulsion from the league. More recently, Quang Ninh and Quang Nam also experienced a similar fate. These clubs once performed exceptionally well with ample financial resources, but when their owners ran into difficulties, the clubs collapsed. The biggest challenge for these clubs is that despite their professional image, they are heavily dependent on the resources of their owners, provincial authorities or governing bodies, rather than relying on their own brand to generate income through ticket sales, broadcasting rights, transfers and youth football development. This is a constant problem for professional clubs in Vietnamese football today.
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