Vietnamese players playing abroad:

Vietnamese football is going through a bustling transfer season with many notable arrivals and departures. However, up to now, there has been no sign that any famous Vietnamese football players will go abroad to play. It seems that the domestic playing field is still a “safe zone” that many players are not confident enough to step out of.

Midfielder Hoang Duc (in black) once had the opportunity to play abroad but did not leave a strong impression. Photo: VPF

Why is the dream of going to sea still so far away?

In the history of Vietnamese football, no player has been truly successful when playing abroad. From Le Huynh Duc playing for Lifan Chongqing Club (China) in 2001 to the following generations such as Cong Phuong, Xuan Truong, Quang Hai, Doan Van Hau..., all have not left a clear mark on the international football field. The barrier does not only come from cultural differences, but also lies in the gap in expertise, physical strength, physique and ability to adapt to high competition intensity compared to international colleagues. That is the reason why Vietnamese players often only play a reserve role, unable to become pillars in the teams they play for.

The two most recent cases of going abroad, Nguyen Quang Hai and Doan Van Hau, have not left a strong impression when playing in Europe. Quang Hai only played for Pau FC (France) for a short time, while Van Hau played for SC Heerenveen (Netherlands) but mainly played for the reserve team. However, both still deserve recognition for daring to leave their "safe zone", accepting a lower income to pursue their dream of playing in a top football environment. And it is in those seemingly failed experiences that they have matured significantly in terms of expertise, with a much more modern mindset and way of playing football than before going abroad.

However, the mentality of being satisfied with the “safe” choice - playing domestically - still dominates the Vietnamese football community. Stable income, the status of “domestic star” and the protection from clubs make many people not interested in the dream of going abroad. Going abroad means facing language and cultural barriers, professional pressure and the risk of failure - that is what makes many players hesitate.

Coach Mano Polking - who is currently leading the Hanoi Police Club and has twice helped the Thai team win the AFF Cup - frankly said that the biggest obstacle for Vietnamese players is not their expertise, but their fear of change. He called on players to be brave enough to step out of their "comfort zone". Meanwhile, many Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian players have been playing in Japan, South Korea or Europe.

Goalkeeper Nguyen Filip (Hanoi Police) also shared that the biggest difference between European and Vietnamese players is the willingness to leave. For young players in Europe, going abroad is an inevitable goal to develop their career, while in Vietnam, many still choose to stay to maintain their image, not considering it a necessary path to maturity.

Inspirational stories from volleyball

While Vietnamese football is still struggling with the problem of going abroad, in volleyball, many athletes have boldly gone abroad to compete and left a positive mark. One of the most typical faces is Tran Thi Thanh Thuy - the number 1 striker of the Vietnamese women's volleyball team. She has played for many international clubs in Thailand, Taiwan (China), Japan, Türkiye and Indonesia. Although the journey has not always been smooth - such as having her contract with Kuzeyboru Club (Türkiye) terminated early or saying goodbye to Gresik Petrokimia (Indonesia) after only one month - Thanh Thuy still shows the spirit of daring to think, daring to do and constantly striving to improve herself. Recently, she continued to be invited by Gunma Green Wings Club (Japan) to sign a contract and is expected to compete here in the 2025 - 2026 season.

Another inspiring case is the middle blocker Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy. When joining the GS Caltex Club in the Korean Volleyball Championship, she not only adapted quickly but also became an important factor helping the team overcome the crisis period. With the presence of Bich Thuy, GS Caltex won 11/12 matches at the end of last season. Currently, in the volleyball world, more and more athletes are willing to go abroad to gain experience. Notably, most domestic clubs support this. They believe that after playing abroad, athletes will make significant progress and contribute more effectively to both the national team and their home club. Lessons from volleyball show that Vietnamese athletes can absolutely compete well abroad if they have enough courage, are properly supported and have access to the right environment. In football, the core thing - as coach Mano Polking once emphasized - is: "Are Vietnamese players brave enough to step out of their comfort zone?".

Expert Phan Anh Tu also commented: “We need more people like Quang Hai or Van Hau, because they dare to go, dare to face challenges. The more players are trained and compete in an environment with a higher level of expertise, the more Vietnamese football will benefit - especially the national team”. Hopefully in the near future, Vietnamese sports will have more athletes invited to compete abroad and more importantly, they will have the courage to accept challenges to improve themselves.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/Vietnamese-player-ra-nuoc-ngoai-thi-dau-thieu-ban-linh-hay-thieu-niem-tin-709693.html