What do football teams do when V-League is suspended for more than 2 months?

The suspension of the V-League to make way for the U.23 Vietnam team's schedule may put many clubs at a disadvantage. However, if well prepared, this is a valuable time to improve performance.

CHANCE OF RESURRECTION FOR THE REMAINDER GROUP

To facilitate the U.23 Vietnam team to prepare for and compete in the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 AFC U.23 Championship, the V-League was suspended. It was not until January 30, 2026, that the clubs would compete again after a 2.5 month break. Coach Le Duc Tuan of Da Nang Club shared with Thanh Nien reporter: "In terms of operating costs, this is a disadvantage for the teams. But the clubs all agreed with this decision from the tournament organizers at the beginning of the season, so they are ready to sacrifice for U.23 Vietnam, so this is no longer a big problem."

Que Ngoc Hai (right) will have plenty of time to integrate with his new team Da Nang after a difficult period at the beginning of the season.

PHOTO: MINH TU

Mr. Tuan added: "In terms of expertise, this break is very valuable for Da Nang Club. Last season, we had to play the play-off so we only had 1 month to prepare for the 2025-2026 season. That led to foreign players coming to Vietnam late, not having much time to prepare well, so the results were not as expected. We will take advantage of the upcoming break to check, evaluate the squad, change and add personnel for phase 2. Da Nang Club also has more time for new players from Thanh Hoa Club, Que Ngoc Hai, Ribamar, Vo Nguyen Hoang to integrate." Da Nang Club will practice for 3 weeks locally and then move to the north to train and play friendly matches with V-League and first division teams to maintain physical strength and ball feel.

Meanwhile, the team at the bottom of the rankings, PVF-CAND, decided to "change coach midstream". This team said goodbye to coach Thach Bao Khanh and appointed coach Nguyen Thanh Cong. With a new coach and new tactics, it is clear that the upcoming break is very important for PVF-CAND Club.

R SERIOUSLY LOOKING FOR OPPONENTS

Up to this point, most teams have not been able to finalize opponents for practice matches in the next 2.5 months. Coach Le Duc Tuan said that this is the time when V-League teams (except Hanoi Police Club and Nam Dinh who are playing in international tournaments) are resting for a few days before returning to practice. Coach Polking of Hanoi Police Club said that he wants to focus completely on the next 2 matches in the Asian Cup C2 and Southeast Asian Cup C1. The team can play 3 friendly matches with other clubs. The four-team tournament is held in the north, waiting for teams to confirm their participation.

Meanwhile, Ninh Binh, the club currently at the top of the rankings, plans to go to Singapore for training to help players "change the wind" and create new inspiration. HAGL can also go abroad for training. During the pre-season, the mountain town team went to Thailand, where they had the support of coach Kiatisak Senamuang. Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City Police Club will have a friendly match with Hang Yuan Club, a strong team in Taiwan. This match will take place in January 2026. If they do not want to travel far, coach Le Huynh Duc and his team can practice with Becamex Ho Chi Minh City or first-class teams such as Truong Tuoi Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City, and Long An.

In short, despite the economic losses, V-League clubs consider this 2.5-month break as a strategic "investment". Each team has its own plan, from restructuring personnel, changing training philosophy, training away from home or right at the headquarters. The ultimate goal is to return strongest in early 2026, ready for the extremely important acceleration phase of the season. If teams make good use of this time, the professional quality of V-League in the remaining journey will certainly be further improved.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cac-doi-bong-lam-gi-khi-v-league-tam-dung-hon-2-thang-185251125001001813.htm