Police Football Clubs - Memories and a Bright Future

There was a time when the Police football teams were part of the past, with many beautiful memories. However, like the crescent moon then full moon, they have returned with full force, bringing a new, youthful image of people who are always eager to contribute and passionate.

Golden memories

At the end of 2000, Vietnamese football officially upgraded the national championship towards professionalism. The domestic championship from then on also had a new name, V.League. The first season of V.League 2000-2001 had 10 participating teams, with 3 representatives of the Public Security sector: Hanoi Police Club, Ho Chi Minh City Police and Hai Phong Police.

The professional development project has brought CAND football back to the top.

The names of the three teams above have become a part of the history of Vietnamese football. They not only left deep memories in the hearts of fans through their existence, but also brought unforgettable moments. Each team at that time possessed many excellent people, becoming the foundation for the home team, as well as the national team.

Coaches and former players of Vietnamese football still occasionally share photos with a famous face who once played for the Hanoi Police Club: Vu Minh Hieu. The talented attacking player, who represented the capital's football more than 20 years ago, was even mentioned in popular culture, making him an unforgettable character.

"Minh Hieu came out, Le Huynh Duc came in/He shot from afar, scoring a goal and it was a tie." The funny lyrics in a skit performed by artist Xuan Bac before, mentioned both iconic faces of Police football. Besides Minh Hieu, Le Huynh Duc is also an outstanding face, as he used to play for the Ho Chi Minh City Police Club.

Huynh Duc (left) is the most comprehensive striker in the history of Vietnamese football.

Vietnamese football currently has Tien Linh as a reliable striker in the attack. However, if we consider many aspects, including both expertise and influence, Tien Linh still cannot be compared to Huynh Duc. When he was still playing, Huynh Duc was considered the most excellent and comprehensive striker that Vietnamese football has ever had.

Huynh Duc brings together the best qualities of an attacking player. He has a good physique, can head the ball, distribute the ball to teammates, and even shoot himself. In each set piece situation, Huynh Duc has also brought home goals for his club and the national team many times.

Tuan Diep has been the number 1 goalkeeper of Hai Phong Police Club for many years.

Similar to Hanoi Police and Ho Chi Minh City Police, Hai Phong Police Club has left many deep memories over time. They are the starting point for the story "Lach Tray Stadium is easy to go, hard to return". At home, the Port City players always put enormous pressure on their opponents thanks to their fiery playing style, with tens of thousands of enthusiastic spectators cheering them on.

When talking about Hai Phong Police Club in the early years of V.League, we remember the flamboyant goalkeeper Dang Tuan Diep in goal. Dang Hong Truong and Nguyen Truong Giang formed a solid duo in midfield. And in attack, they had To Duc Cuong, who possessed outstanding scoring qualities and could have gone very far in his career.

Besides the three teams mentioned above, the Public Security sector once had another strong club, competing in the highest division of Vietnamese football in the early 90s. That was Thanh Hoa Public Security. In the early 80s, with the inherent qualities of Thanh people, Thanh Hoa Public Security Club was promoted 2 divisions in 4 years to play in the A1 division, equivalent to today's V.League.

Vu Minh Hieu (sitting in the middle) with his former teammates at the Hanoi Police Club.

Information about Thanh Hoa Police Club is hard to find on the Internet, because they were dissolved in 1994, long before the V.League was born. But in the memories of Thanh Hoa football lovers, this is a strong team, gathering many good players.

The clearest proof of that is a former player of Thanh Hoa Police Club who is currently a leading coach in V.League, Mr. Chu Dinh Nghiem. The rather unique and interesting name of the coach from Thanh Hoa became a source of inspiration for writer Nguyen Nhat Anh to "borrow" a part of it as a pen name in his football commentary articles in the 90s: Chu Dinh Ngan.

Putting aside the stories about popular culture, Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem is a record holder of V.League. He is one of the two rare coaches in history to win the championship 3 times, along with Coach Le Thuy Hai. Whether in Hanoi or Hai Phong, Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem always carries the spirit of a former Thanh Hoa Police player, thanks to his detailed instructions, showing the understanding of a modern tactical master.

Revival

Compared to the previous national A1 tournament, the V.League era has witnessed a series of changes in Vietnamese football. Clubs do not use players in a "permanent" way like before, but can transfer and use money to recruit stars. Foreign players also appeared, becoming the decisive factor in victory or defeat on the top football field.

Hanoi Police Club, Ho Chi Minh City Police, and PVF CAND have revived a glorious time in the new era of V.League.

The options to strengthen the force such as buying good players, recruiting foreign players all required huge resources. That seemed impossible for the police teams at that time, which relied on the budget and could hardly mobilize external resources. As a result, the police teams had to transfer so that the players and coaches could have a better life.

Ho Chi Minh City Police Club was the first team to transfer. They were also the pioneer team in receiving social resources and at the same time attaching the name of the enterprise to receive sponsorship. In the middle of the 2001-2002 V.League season, the team was transferred and renamed Dong A Bank Club.

A few months after the Ho Chi Minh City Police Club transferred and changed its name, the Hanoi Police Club became the Vietnam Airlines Club. The Hai Phong Police was transferred to the City to take over. In less than a year, the Police football teams no longer appeared on the Vietnamese football map, ending a journey of many decades of glory.

At that time, the only way for players and coaches who used to work for the Police teams to remember the heroic image of the past was to continue fighting on the field. Even in other teams, they all made people remember them with their fighting spirit. Because like "the lotus fades, the chrysanthemum blooms again", everyone thought about the day they would return.

That important day for the Police football industry came in April 2008, when the Police Football Club was established. The core players in the team at that time were veterans who had played for the Hanoi Police Club, Ho Chi Minh City Police and Hai Phong Police Club before. The whole team started from scratch in a systematic and substantial way in the Third Division.

Faces like Minh Hieu, Tuan Thanh, Thien Quang, Tuan Diep... have created a positive foundation for the return of football in the Public Security sector. With a slow and steady journey, the Club is moving towards the generational transition phase. Youth training is well implemented, in addition to using veterans, as well as borrowing talents from other clubs.

The period 2008-2012 was the most difficult years for the CAND Football Club, as well as Vietnamese football. This was a period that witnessed the global economic crisis, causing a series of businesses to leave the professional football game. However, amidst the storm, the CAND Football Club stood firm, at the same time looking towards a brighter future.

The bright spot that brought the future of CAND Football Club came in 2014, when they unexpectedly won a ticket to play in the First Division. On the way to promotion, CAND Football Club held strong opponent Nam Dinh to a draw, and also defeated Viettel Club in the decisive match.

In the promotion playoff, CAND Football Club seemed to have lost, but surprisingly scored an equalizer in the last 5 minutes of the match. In the penalty shootout, CAND players narrowly beat their opponents 4-3, thereby winning a ticket to play in the First Division. Three years later, the team returned to this division.

During the period 2014-2019, with not really outstanding resources, CAND Football Club was still able to maintain the team with not too bad results. From a team reborn in the Third Division, the Club gradually asserted its position, played in the Second Division, created a certain position, and then at some point was promoted to the First Division. That is a path that not every club is willing to take.

Some people will say that the achievements in V.League are the criteria that show the success of Vietnamese professional football. But the club is like a person, everyone has to go through the stage of being carried, learning to sit, learning to walk before being able to run fast forward. The slow but steady approach of CAND Football Club has become the foundation for the following years.

Glorious glory

The turning point for the Police Football Clubs came in early 2020. This was the time when the Project to develop the Police Football Club in a professional direction was born. In addition, the leaders of the Ministry of Public Security closely cared for and built the team into a strong club, worthy of the task of promoting its image to fans.

Cao Pendant Quang Vinh is an important player both on and off the field.

Since 2021, the CAND Football Club has begun to receive socialized resources, something that has never happened before. This helps the team to access good players. In addition, the team's youth training after 10 years has begun to bear fruit, as some players have been called up to the national youth teams.

In the year of launching the Project to develop the Police Football Club in a professional direction, the team won a ticket to play in the First Division. Two years later, the club won the championship of this division, marking a glorious milestone in history. After exactly two decades, a Police team reappeared in the highest league of Vietnamese football.

In the first V.League season, the team restored the once-famous name, Hanoi Police Football Club. Like a glorious line in history, Hanoi Police Club made an impressive performance in its first year. The best players joined the team, creating a deep squad, thereby conquering the V.League championship.

The history of Vietnamese football has only recorded one team winning the V.League in the first year of promotion, that is Hoang Anh Gia Lai Club. Hanoi Police Club is the next rare team to do this, with an unbelievable scenario. They were officially crowned in the final round, when they had the same points as Hanoi FC and only ranked above their opponent thanks to the extra index.

In the following years, the Hanoi Police Club made a good impression on the fans. They often entered the field with an active, attacking style of play, playing with dedication. Another interesting point of the Hanoi Police Club is that they also became a leading team, creating a destination for overseas Vietnamese players to return home, prove their abilities and join the national team.

After Lee Nguyen, Nguyen Filip can be considered the most outstanding overseas Vietnamese player ever known to world football. The goalkeeper born in 1992 even joined the Czech Republic national team and expressed his interest in Vietnamese football. But it was not until Nguyen Filip joined the Hanoi Police Club that he truly became a part of the national team.

Following the success of Nguyen Filip, Cao Pendant Quang Vinh returned home to play and was called up to the national team. Recently, this winger was elected to the executive committee and was the vice-captain of the Vietnam team. This is a significant milestone, recognizing the contributions of overseas Vietnamese players like Quang Vinh, both in and out of professional matters.

The resounding success of the Hanoi Police Club is also reflected in the international arena. The runner-up position in the 2024/25 Southeast Asian Club Cup may bring many regrets, but it is also an affirmation of the strength of a top team. With effectively allocated resources, as well as players who play with all their heart for the flag, the Hanoi Police Club is capable of competing on par with any strong opponent in the region.

The positive signals from the Hanoi Police Club have become a lever for the name Ho Chi Minh City Police to reappear in the V.League playground. In addition, the PVF People's Police Club is also confident in taking on the responsibility of competing in the highest league. The glorious past of the "trident" on the map of Vietnamese professional football has resurfaced in the era of growth.

After the first 6 rounds of V.League 2025/26, Hanoi Police Club and Ho Chi Minh City Police Club hold 2/3 of the leading positions. PVF People's Police also has positive results, especially in the context of the core club including many very young players. They bring the golden past, as well as the golden hope for the image of the heroic and fiery police force football teams.

Story of the CAND Boxing Team

Boxer Nguyen Phuong Anh is a prominent face of the CAND Boxing team.

Similar to football, the CAND Boxing team also has a glorious past, with many notable milestones. Few people know that the first boxer to bring home a gold medal for Vietnamese Boxing at the SEA Games was not a representative of Hanoi or the Army. That was Luong Van Toan, the face of the CAND Boxing team that won the championship in the men's 81kg weight class in 2011.

Besides Van Toan, CAND Boxing has witnessed many outstanding faces in the men's Boxing category. These are boxers Nguyen Van Hai, Vu Thanh Dat, Luong Van Toan. Even boxer Nguyen Van Duong, who won a ticket to the Tokyo Olympics, is also a product of the CAND Boxing training center.

Interestingly, Nguyen Van Duong is not the only face who has reached the Olympics through the CAND Boxing team. Female boxer Nguyen Thi Tam, before joining Hanoi and achieving success, also spent time training at this unit. Under the eyes of coach Nguyen Tien Dat, Nguyen Thi Tam at the age of 14 showed outstanding qualities.

After the 2018 National Sports Festival, the CAND Boxing Team witnessed a major change in personnel. Many key players left the team to join other strong units. In the midst of this difficult situation, Coach Nguyen Tien Dat continued to stay, determined to rebuild the team from the pieces.

Among the talented young faces, the CAND Boxing Team still has a veteran to rely on. That is boxer Nguyen Phuong Anh, who stepped onto the high-performance sports field from the grassroots. "Police uncle" Nguyen Phuong Anh recently made a big impression in the eyes of international friends when he won the gold medal at the 2025 International Police Games right in the US.

Boxer Nguyen Phuong Anh is a prominent face of the CAND Boxing team.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/Tieu-diem-van-hoa/cac-clb-bong-da-cong-an-hoai-niem-va-tuong-lai-tuoi-sang-i786311/