Cong Phuong's team repeatedly refused a V-League spot: Slow but with a distinct identity

If there are no last-minute changes, Cong Phuong will play in the first division to find his own promotion ticket. Previously, Binh Phuoc Club had refused Quang Nam Club a V-League spot.

Cong Phuong will be the locomotive to help Binh Phuoc Club compete for a ticket to V-League.

Photo: Binh Phuoc Club

Cong Phuong will not meet Van Toan again soon

When the future of Quang Nam Club was put on "red alert" due to lack of funding, there were plans set out by VFF, VPF and the Organizing Committee to ensure the maintenance of 14 teams participating in V-League 2025 - 2026. Among them, Cong Phuong's Binh Phuoc Club emerged as the leading candidate after participating in the play-off match last season.

But until now, Binh Phuoc Club's stance seems to remain the same, wanting to participate in the 2025 - 2026 national first division, fighting for a ticket to play in the 2026 - 2027 V-League. Unless something special happens at the last minute, Cong Phuong and his teammates will play in the 2025 - 2026 first division.

This reason may come from expertise when the urgent time makes it difficult for them to ensure 2 factors: physical strength and foreign players. The cost of hiring foreign players is certainly not a problem for the team that has been investing heavily to supplement the star squad Cong Phuong, Xuan Truong, Minh Vuong, Van Son, Thanh Binh...

But there is one thing that money cannot solve immediately: time: Binh Phuoc Club will not have time to find quality foreign players that meet the requirements, while V-League opponents have had several months of "headhunting".

Binh Phuoc Club President Pham Huong Son took a photo with Buriram United boss Newin Chidchob

Photo: Binh Phuoc Club

Next, no one dares to guarantee how much time the new Westerners coming to Vietnam (old foreign players with stable quality with V-League clubs) will need to integrate into the new environment, people, and playing style.

In addition, another very important factor is that V-League clubs have almost completed physical and technical preparations and are entering the competition phase to test and adjust their playing style as they will play the opening match in 10 days.

On the contrary, because the first division tournament takes place later, teams like Binh Phuoc, PVF-CAND, and Binh Dinh have only been training for 2 weeks. If they are forced to play V-League from August 15, they will not be able to ensure the quality of their skills and personnel, and will easily be relegated back to the first division.

Binh Phuoc Club: No rush, just go up with your own strength

There is a little-known story that Binh Phuoc Club once refused the opportunity to regain its V-League spot from Quang Nam Club, from the sponsor's goodwill offer, completely free of charge without spending a single penny.

Binh Phuoc fans dye Thong Nhat stadium green

Photo: Binh Phuoc Club

Since investing in Binh Phuoc Club at the beginning of the 2023-2024 season, the Southeast team has received more than one offer to "take a shortcut" to play in the V-League early, but they have politely refused.

Not to mention financial problems, because those who hear that the amount of money to hire a team of Japanese experts is "huge" will understand that the team is not afraid to invest in people, the key point is that Binh Phuoc Club wants to develop on its own strength.

V-League history has shown that teams that borrow names to buy spots all have one thing in common: they quickly "bloom and fade", because they rush to develop without investing, or skip the stage of accumulating strength and creating cohesion to move towards their own identity.

Meanwhile, Binh Phuoc Club is gradually trying to build a solid foundation, step by step, to perfect itself and steadily move up to V-League - according to the experience shared from the experience exchange trip with Buriram United Club by Mr. Son.

This is demonstrated by the fact that the team is still building a youth academy system, developing close relationships with the local fan community, demonstrated by the image of Thong Nhat Stadium being dyed blue with a packed crowd of 10,000 spectators at the play-off match.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-cong-phuong-nhieu-lan-tu-choi-suat-v-league-cham-ma-ra-ban-sac-185250725150526556.htm