Gia Dinh Football Club 'gave up' the First Division twice

There are few football teams like Gia Dinh Club that have twice failed to become professional players for various reasons to continue playing amateur football in their own way.

Gia Dinh Club was built systematically from the movement - Photo: QUANG THINH

Vietnam Football Federation agreed to allow Gia Dinh Club to change its name to Xuan Thien Phu Tho Club and move its household registration from Military Zone 7 Stadium to Viet Tri Stadium (Phu Tho province) before the 2025-2026 First Division Tournament.

Gia Dinh Club gave up promotion twice

Thus, Gia Dinh Club will not participate in the National First Division in the 2025-2026 season. All players and coaching staff of Gia Dinh Club will be transferred to Xuan Thien Phu Tho Joint Stock Company (XTPT Club).

The transfer was successful, so XTPT Club was named in the re-drawing ceremony of the National First Division 2025-2026 on the morning of September 11 in Hanoi . XTPT will be a guest at Dong Thap Club in round 1.

This is the second time Gia Dinh FC has not participated in the National First Division. Previously in 2020, Gia Dinh FC won the right to be promoted to the first division for the first time after defeating Cong An Nhan Dan (the predecessor of Cong An Ha Noi Club).

However, they withdrew due to lack of facilities for the 2021 season. The People's Public Security Club replaced them.

Five years later, Gia Dinh FC continued to give up their place in the First Division but in a different way. Their place in the First Division was transferred to Phu Tho, where Phu Tho Club was relegated by FIFA in May. This time, football in the land of King Hung's ancestors will be called Xuan Thien Phu Tho Club.

The name Gia Dinh Club will not disappear and will continue to be maintained according to the old model. That is where the technical director, coach, club president or chairman of the board of directors Tran Tien Dai plays football.

"Architect" Tran Tien Dai is famous for his football brokerage career - Photo: QUANG THINH

How is Gia Dinh Club organized?

Gia Dinh Football Club belongs to Kenos Joint Stock Company, first registered on November 20, 2018. Mr. Tran Tien Dai holds 50% of the capital, becoming chairman after resigning from Saigon Club in July.

In 2019, Gia Dinh Club bought the second division tournament spot from Hoang Sang Club in Ho Chi Minh City. Gia Dinh team's headquarters is Tan Hiep Stadium (now in Hoc Mon commune) to participate in non-professional tournaments.

In 2020, the young club began to reap certain successes by winning promotion to professional level in the National First Division.

Although starting out as just an amateur football team, Gia Dinh Club under the management of Mr. Tran Tien Dai, the team has a foreign coach, fitness coach and former national team players.

Gia Dinh Club at that time was not only a place to help young players who had lost their way to dream of playing, but also a landing place for former players who had "retired" or wanted to return to professional football.

Mr. Tran Tien Dai, who has been involved in Vietnamese professional football for ten years, understands the nature and operating mechanism, always maintaining a team ready to go professional at any time at any price.

The story of Gia Dinh Club "selling its place" to a corporation to do football is not new. After handling the transfer properly, Mr. Tran Tien Dai will definitely come back to build another Gia Dinh team.

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QUANG THINH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/clb-bong-da-gia-dinh-2-lan-buong-giai-hang-nhat-20250911173407326.htm