Is there a problem with the foreign player recruitment process?

Hanoi FC is once again facing a headache regarding foreign players.

On the afternoon of November 7th, Hanoi FC announced the departure of foreign player Keziah Veendorp. The former captain of the Netherlands U.17 team had his contract terminated due to not meeting professional requirements. Thus, Veendorp only lasted a mere two months at Hanoi FC.

When he first arrived at Hanoi FC, Veendorp was introduced as having previously played for the Netherlands U.17 team and worn the captain's armband, and having spent time playing alongside Donny van de Beek (former midfielder of Ajax Amsterdam and Manchester United, currently playing for Girona). The Dutch player was also considered to have good tactical awareness and technical skills.

However, Veendorp's only contribution was a mere 18 minutes in the Hanoi FC jersey before he packed his bags and left. The former Netherlands U.17 midfielder lacked the fitness to play a full match, and didn't possess any exceptional technical skills or experience.

Veendorp is proof of the very poor quality of foreign players at Hanoi FC.

Veendorp was an unsuccessful signing, so Hanoi FC recruited Jakhongir. The Uzbekistani foreign player wasn't outstanding either, but he had previously played for The Cong Viettel in the V-League. He was chosen as a "stopgap" solution by the capital city's coaching staff.

This season, Hanoi FC recruited foreign players including Veendorp, Joao Pedro, and Augustine Chidi Kwen. However, while in most V-League teams, foreign players carry the team's playing style, the story at Hanoi FC is the opposite.

Hanoi FC's foreign players have all failed to impress. In the match against Thanh Hoa , coach Le Duc Tuan had to field a team composed entirely of domestic players and overseas Vietnamese. Chidi Kwen, the highest-valued foreign player in V-League (according to Transfermarkt ), was also not registered to play. It is highly likely that the Nigerian striker will leave soon.

Hanoi FC's decline began after the 2022 season, when the capital city team suffered a "brain drain," losing many talented players, while the next generation has yet to prove themselves.

Meanwhile, Hanoi FC's foreign player recruitment is extremely poor. Last season, Hanoi FC brought in many foreign stars, bringing their total to six foreign players for the AFC Champions League. These included Damien le Tallec (formerly of Borussia Dortmund), Joel Tagueu, Milan Jevtovic, Marcao, and Brandon Wilson. Later, the team added Tim Hall.

Overseas Vietnamese and domestic players are carrying Hanoi FC.

However, after only half a season, almost all of these foreign players had to leave. When coach Daiki Iwamasa took over, he only trusted one foreign player, Tim Hall in defense. Tagueu mostly came on as a substitute. He missed a penalty in the 2023-2024 National Cup final, contributing to Hanoi FC's heartbreaking loss to Thanh Hoa.

In total, over the last three seasons, Hanoi FC has recruited around 15 foreign players, but apart from Marcao, none of them have made a significant impression. Even in their most recent championship season (2022), Hanoi FC found themselves in a situation where domestic players were carrying the burden of foreign players. The Eastern European players brought in from some of Hanoi FC's "regular" clubs all performed poorly.

It's clear that in the past, Hanoi FC's success was due to its strong foreign player base. These foreign players mainly shone at other V-League teams before arriving at Hang Day Stadium.

Currently, Hanoi FC prioritizes completely new foreign players. Poor scouting has led to a major headache for the capital city's team regarding foreign players.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/clb-ha-noi-chia-tay-cuu-thu-quan-u17-ha-lan-khau-tuyen-ngoai-binh-co-van-de-185241107173716125.htm