Quang Ninh Club: From the tragedy of dissolution to the journey back to professionalism

Nearly five years of absence from the Vietnamese professional football scene is probably more than enough for football fans with such a rich tradition as Quang Ninh.

Quang Ninh Club officially returns to the First Division - Photo: Quang Ninh Club

The victory against Hoai Duc at Cam Pha Stadium on the evening of June 17th has gone down in the history of Quang Ninh football, as their newly re-established team officially marked their return to the First Division - one of Vietnam's professional football leagues - after nearly 5 years of absence.

Quang Ninh FC has achieved its goal of being promoted two leagues without losing a single match. A streak of 16 unbeaten games across two competitions (third and second divisions) is an encouraging achievement for a team that was only re-established a year ago and has limited investment.

Tragedy...

Since Vietnamese football turned professional in 2000, Than Quang Ninh has experienced many ups and downs. The team has been promoted and relegated several times in semi-professional leagues, only making its debut in the V-League in 2014.

Prior to its dissolution in 2021, Than Quang Ninh FC was a powerhouse in the V-League, consistently ranking among the top teams in the standings.

The team's highlights include winning the National Cup and National Super Cup in 2016, finishing in the top 3 of the V-League in 2019, and reaching the knockout round of the AFC Cup in 2020.

During the 2020-2021 period, Than Quang Ninh even had players who caught the attention of coach Park Hang Seo in the national teams.

Than Quang Ninh is proud to represent a locality with a long history (established in 1956), boasting a large and enthusiastic fan base, comparable to other provinces with rich football traditions such as Hai Phong , Song Lam Nghe An, or Thanh Hoa.

But precisely at its peak, Than Quang Ninh suffered a shock when the owner no longer had the financial resources to maintain the team. In mid-2021, a wave of strikes demanding unpaid salaries, bonuses, and signing fees erupted among the coaching staff and players.

At the end of that season, the club's management had to seek assistance from the provincial authorities to try and finish the season. From second place in the standings, Than Quang Ninh lost the motivation to compete for the championship, resulting in consecutive defeats and a drop to third place.

At the end of the season, the club disbanded, releasing more than 30 players. The name Than Quang Ninh was officially expelled from the FIFA football system. Many people will never get back the money they earned through their hard work.

Quang Ninh Club makes an impressive comeback - Photo: Quang Ninh Club

...And revived

After a three-year absence from national professional football leagues, in July 2024, Quang Ninh Football Club was established under the management of Quang Ninh Football Development Joint Stock Company. It was recognized by the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee and the Quang Ninh Department of Culture and Sports as the new team representing the province, and was introduced to the Department of Physical Education and Sports and the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) to participate in football tournaments.

According to regulations, Quang Ninh FC must begin its journey back to professionalism from the 2024 National Third Division. Driven by his love for football, Quang Ninh FC's president, Ha Tuan Dung, decided to build the team around a core of Quang Ninh players to preserve its identity.

He has called up many familiar faces from Quang Ninh football, such as captain Bui Van Hieu, vice-captain Dao Nhat Minh, center-back Le Tuan Tu, defender Doan Van Quy, and striker Nguyen Van Son, to form the team's core squad.

Being newly established, the club faced many difficulties. Under limited budget conditions, the team could not recruit quality players from Quang Ninh. Players' salaries only ranged from 10 million VND and there were no signing bonuses. The team did not have its own bus and had to rent one. Throughout the third division season, Quang Ninh Club could only stay in a budget hotel that didn't even meet the 3-star standard.

However, under the guidance of coach Nguyen Van Dan, Quang Ninh Club still performed impressively to achieve joint championship in the 2024 Third Division, before finishing early in the top positions of the 2025 Second Division, and simultaneously securing promotion to the 2025-2026 First Division.

Even more impressively, the humble Quang Ninh club has surpassed the wealthy Bac Ninh team (a team with massive investment and coach Park Hang Seo as advisor) to lead Group A of the Second Division. With one draw and one win, Quang Ninh has proven its skill level compared to its more highly-rated opponent, with whom it has played together for two years.

So far, Quang Ninh Club remains undefeated (on a 16-match streak) and continues to aim for a win in their final match (against PVF Center) as a token of gratitude to their fans.

Quang Ninh FC will officially return to the First Division, expected at the end of this year. It's still unknown when the team will be able to reach the V-League, but their return to professional football is welcome news not only for fans in the mining region but also for Vietnamese football in general.

NGOC LE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/clb-quang-ninh-tu-bi-kich-giai-the-den-hanh-trinh-tro-lai-chuyen-nghiep-20250618103149452.htm