A team merger is unlikely.

Professional football is managed and operated on a business model, so merging teams is unlikely when provinces are merged.

As of June 12th, the country has 34 provincial-level administrative units, including 28 provinces and 6 cities. Of these, 19 provinces and 4 cities were formed after the reorganization. However, this change will not have an impact on Vietnamese football.

Comply with FIFA standards.

The regulations for licensing professional football clubs in Vietnam are based on principles set by the International Football Federation (FIFA) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), in accordance with Vietnamese law and the charter of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).

Accordingly, FIFA sets standards for professional football clubs, encompassing aspects such as facilities, personnel, finances, and competition rules. These standards are applied universally to all professional football clubs worldwide to ensure professionalism, fairness, and safety in football competitions.

FIFA requires clubs to have stable financial resources to maintain operations, including paying salaries to players, coaches, and staff, investing in facilities, and covering other expenses. Professional football clubs must be transparent in their financial reporting and comply with accounting and auditing regulations.

In developed football nations around the world, the number of participating teams is tiered according to the league system, with more teams in the lower divisions and gradually decreasing as they progress to the top national professional leagues. Vietnamese football is currently the opposite of this trend, with the First Division having fewer teams than the V-League. However, the Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF) and the Organizing Committee of the Vietnamese Professional Football Leagues have made a decision in the regulations of the national professional football leagues for the 2025-2026 season to help make the V-League more professional.

Ho Chi Minh City FC (left) and Binh Duong FC (right). Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong have merged but can still maintain two separate teams. (Photo: QUOC AN)

VPF General Director Nguyen Minh Ngoc stated: "In the 2025-2026 V-League season, the teams finishing 13th and 14th overall will be directly relegated, and the top two teams in the First Division will be directly promoted. There will be no play-off matches like in previous seasons. This requires clubs to focus on preparing their squads early and invest more to compete for the championship or defend their V-League participation spot."

This important decision by the VFF and VPF helps to weed out teams and clubs that operate in a short-sighted manner, lacking direction and long-term operational plans.

Owning multiple football teams at the same time.

In world football, there are many cities that simultaneously own up to three professional football teams. Manchester United and Manchester City are both iconic clubs in England, representing the city of Manchester in the Premier League. Similarly, London, the capital of England, boasts several top clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur.

The city of Milan (Italy) has two historically significant and successful football teams: Inter Milan and AC Milan. Meanwhile, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are the pride of football in Madrid in particular, and Spain in general. Therefore, it is not uncommon for a province or city to have multiple professional football clubs. These teams operate independently, following a business model, and do not rely on state budget.

In the V-League, Hanoi currently boasts three clubs: Hanoi FC, The Cong Viettel , and Hanoi Police. Although these teams are from the same city, they each possess their own distinct playing style, creating exciting Hanoi derby matches that attract a large audience.

Similarly, clubs like Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Ba Ria - Vung Tau all have different playing styles and players with distinct identities, so they cannot be merged into a single provincial team to compete in a league.

Regarding the merger of professional football clubs by province or city, a football expert analyzed: "Each professional club needs a sustainable development plan, rather than being dependent on mergers based on locality. Professional football operates under a joint-stock company mechanism, so the more teams a locality has, the better."

More opportunities

Gia Lai province currently has Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC and Binh Dinh province has Quy Nhon Binh Dinh FC, both competing in the V-League. Regarding the merger of the two provinces, Mr. Nguyen Tan Anh, CEO of Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC, stated that the club is owned by Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group, a private enterprise. Therefore, the merger will not affect the team's overall operations. Leaders of the Gia Lai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism believe that the merger of Gia Lai and Binh Dinh provinces will create several development opportunities for the teams. Among these, major advantages include a larger market, making it easier for teams to find sponsors.

Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Trong Thao, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Da Nang City, said that they are still waiting for the results of the 2024-2025 V-League season for the two clubs, SHB Da Nang and QNK Quang Nam, to use as a basis for proposing to higher authorities. However, since the current operations of both clubs, including youth training, are funded by sponsors, the team names and fan clubs will remain unchanged.

H. Thanh - H. Dinh

Source: https://nld.com.vn/kho-co-chuyen-sap-nhap-doi-bong-196250617214622474.htm