Should Dinh Bac move to China League 1? The Asian football community is fiercely debating this.

Đình Bắc - Ảnh 1. — Chinese media reports that several domestic teams are interested in buying Ding Bei - Photo: AFC

Three days ago, the Chinese news site 163 revealed that Guangxi Hengchen FC in the Chinese First Division (China League 1) had inquired about buying Ding Bei for 300,000 euros (9.2 billion VND).

This information has yet to be confirmed by those involved, but it has sparked a heated debate on forums, social media, and in Asian football media.

Chinese news sites such as Sina, Sohu, and 163 have reposted the reactions of Vietnamese media and fans surrounding this rumor, along with many controversial comments.

Specifically, Chinese journalist Lao Qiu stated that Vietnamese fans felt Dinh Bac was being disrespected because Guangxi Hengchen is only a team in China League 1 (the second-tier league in the Chinese football system).

"Vietnamese media believe that Dinh Bac should join J-League 1 or K-League 1, the top-tier leagues in Japan and South Korea."

"But they also need to know that Guangxi Hengchen has very strong potential. The team just won the China League 2 last season and is highly likely to qualify for the China Super League next season. Guangxi is not a bad option for a young player like Ding Bei, who still has a lot to improve," Lao Qiu said.

This argument is supported by the Thai newspaper MrFootballAEC. The newspaper, citing information from Sohu, asserts that Guangxi Hengchen is the right team for Dinh Bac at the moment.

However, on the other hand, a large number of Thai and Indonesian fans oppose the view that Dinh Bac is only suitable for the China League 1.

"Let's try to analyze this. Dinh Bac shone at the U23 Asian Championship, a tournament with many players currently playing in the top leagues of South Korea, Japan, and China. So why would he need to go to a lower-tier competition in China?" commented a fan on Pantip, one of Thailand's largest sports forums.

Another notable comment on ASEAN Football, from an Indonesian fan, read: "If it's going to be a second division, it should be a Japanese, Korean, or Saudi Arabian league. Everyone has seen how the quality of Chinese football has declined in recent years."

This argument is well-founded, because in this season's AFC Champions League, all three Chinese representatives are currently at the bottom of their East Asian group and are almost certain to be eliminated.

Buriram, a Thai team, even defeated Chinese representatives to join the top 5, securing their place in the next round.

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dinh-bac-co-nen-sang-china-league-1-lang-bong-da-chau-a-tranh-cai-gay-gat-20260212194536687.htm