Vietnamese football on the journey to escape the "milk bubble"

VHO - After 25 years of playing "professional" football, most Vietnamese clubs still cannot support themselves, while in developed football countries such as England, France, Spain, Germany, etc., clubs must stand on their own financial feet, with an entire business ecosystem serving the goal of making money.

Van Quyet and the jerseys and training shirts of Hanoi Club. Photo: MD

Business problem

In reality, in Vietnam, most football teams still rely on the “milk” of their bosses or local budgets. There have been many periods when Vietnamese football has ballooned like a soap bubble, with some teams being promoted to the top flight the previous season, but disbanding the following season when their bosses withdrew and “pulled out the financial breathing tube”.

Just before the 2025/26 season, Vietnamese football is in trouble again as many teams are at risk of disbanding due to lack of funds. Most recently, Quang Nam had to declare their withdrawal from the tournament.

August 13th can be considered a memorable day for V.League when three clubs, Hanoi FC, Hanoi Police and Ninh Binh FC, simultaneously held a launch ceremony before the new season.

This is also a special season when there are up to four teams declaring their desire to win the championship before the first match on August 15. Although they started with new spirit, new joy and full of determination, behind that brilliant atmosphere is still the eternal story of money.

After all, to survive in the fierce V.League, every team needs to have a deep pocket. Reality has long shown that most Vietnamese clubs have to live off the "milk" of a boss or subsidies from the locality. That is why many teams only exist for a few seasons and then disappear when the boss no longer has the strength or interest to "embrace" the team.

The inevitable way to escape that vicious cycle is for each club to build a sustainable revenue ecosystem, including services for audiences (ticket sales, souvenir sales, stadium tours...), advertising revenue, sponsorship, television copyright... V.League 2025/26 is starting with excitement, but for long-term development, each team must soon operate that professional model.

Hanoi FC pioneers in opening official stores

Among the clubs, Hanoi FC has shown to be quite agile in football business. Right after the team's departure ceremony at a luxury hotel in Hanoi, before that, at Hang Day Stadium, this club opened an official souvenir shop called Hanoi FC Store.

This is the official store distributing souvenirs of the capital football team, which has been cherished for a long time, but it was not until the 2025/26 season that Hanoi FC officially put this ambitious project into operation.

The official store located at the A stand, Hang Day Stadium promises to become a shopping and experience space exclusively for fans. Here, genuine products such as official jerseys, travel jerseys, souvenirs, accessories, commemorative publications, etc. are displayed and sold.

Not just a place to sell goods, Hanoi FC Store is also oriented to become a meeting place for the fan community, where exchange activities such as signing autographs, meeting players, and launching new shirt designs will take place.

The launch of the official store is part of Hanoi FC’s strategy to develop the brand and strengthen the connection with fans. The Capital team wants to bring a more complete football experience to the audience, so that each product is not only a souvenir but also a memory and pride of the fans.

The launch ceremony combined with the store opening not only kicks off the 2025/26 season, but also marks a new phase in Hanoi FC's development strategy - more professional, closer to the community, gradually shaping the pioneering position of a modern football club in Vietnam.

In fact, the model of clubs opening souvenir shops and providing services for fans like Hanoi FC is not new in the world. For example, in England, when visiting Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium, each tourist has to pay from 28 pounds (about 850,000 VND) for a ticket to visit the museum and stadium.

After exploring the club's ballroom and the "theatre of dreams", fans are often ready to spend more in megastores with all kinds of products bearing the team's logo.

In Spain, big teams like Barcelona have even developed a global network of stores. Barça currently has 15 official stores directly managed by the club, along with 6 franchise stores in major cities. The souvenir business has now become a "pillar" contributing revenue to the Catalan team's budget.

Similarly, Real Madrid, after upgrading the Bernabéu, saw matchday revenue double to €248 million in the 2023/24 season, partly due to attracting more spectators to the stadium and willing to pay for accompanying services.

Of course, in Vietnam, attracting audiences willing to spend money on football teams is not easy, when the standard of living and sports consumption culture are still different. However, "the path will be made", clubs that dare to take pioneering steps like Hanoi FC are very commendable, opening the way to build an ecosystem that helps football support itself. Only when football teams can stand firmly on their own feet, can we have a truly sustainable professional football development.

The story of Hanoi FC opening an official souvenir shop is not only a media highlight but also a strategic move, suggesting a sustainable direction for Vietnamese football.

When clubs learn to make money themselves, they will be less dependent on “bosses” and have a foundation for long-term investment. And only when each team can support itself, can Vietnamese football approach the professional standards of the world.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/bong-da-viet-tren-hanh-trinh-thoat-bau-sua-161169.html