Will the football clubs merge?

According to Resolution 60, after the merger, the entire country will only have 34 provinces and cities. So, will sports teams and clubs be merged according to their respective localities?

Ho Chi Minh City FC (right) and Binh Duong FC will face each other in the V-League 2024-2025 - Photo: VPF

Vietnamese football currently has 25 professional clubs competing in the V-League and the First Division. Therefore, information about merging the current administrative units has received considerable attention from the clubs.

A football merger is unlikely.

Based on the 34 provinces and cities after the merger, many clubs in both the V-League and the First Division may have to be merged into one. First up are Ho Chi Minh City FC and Binh Duong FC (both in the V-League), and Ho Chi Minh City Youth FC and Ba Ria - Vung Tau FC (both in the First Division).

Next are Quy Nhon Binh Dinh and Hoang Anh Gia Lai clubs (both V-League), Quang Nam and SHB Da Nang clubs (both V-League), Truong Tuoi Binh Phuoc and Dong Nai clubs (both First Division), Nam Dinh club (V-League) and Phu Dong Ninh Binh club (First Division).

However, football operates on a professional model, so it's unlikely that teams from the merged localities will be merged. Because the teams are managed like businesses, their operating budgets mainly depend on sponsors.

Not to mention that it's normal in professional football for a city to have multiple teams competing in the same or different leagues. The clearest evidence is that London has 7 out of 20 clubs currently playing in the English Premier League: Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace, and Brentford.

Regarding the possibility of merging clubs between the two localities, a representative from Binh Duong province shared: "The important issue is whether each club has a sustainable development plan, not whether it depends on the merger of the localities. Both Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong clubs operate under a business model, with business expenses, and do not use state budget funds." Similarly, a representative from Ho Chi Minh City stated: "Football operates under a joint-stock company mechanism, so the more football teams Ho Chi Minh City has, the better."

From a state management perspective, Mr. Nguyen Hong Minh, Deputy Director of the Department of Sports and Physical Education, stated: "The sports sectors of localities will certainly have to merge according to the new administrative structure. Professional football, however, will not be affected, because a locality can have many clubs."

According to the President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), Tran Quoc Tuan: "Each professional club is a business, so there will be no mergers like when provinces are merged. A city can have many professional clubs, like Hanoi previously had ACB, Hoa Phat, and Hanoi."

Hanoi currently has three football teams based within its territory, but they belong to three different organizations: Hanoi Police, Hanoi FC, and The Cong Viettel - Photo: TTO

When will the merger take place?

For truly professional clubs, mergers are unlikely. However, in reality, Vietnamese football still has many teams that are labeled professional but operate on state funding. Therefore, if there is a provincial merger, these teams may also face the possibility of mergers to reduce investment costs.

The situation of the two first-division clubs, Truong Tuoi Binh Phuoc (Binh Phuoc) and Dong Nai, raises questions. Binh Phuoc Club also operates professionally, has strong sponsors, and aims for promotion. Dong Nai Club, although also operating under a business model, is still struggling to find additional funding beyond the 10 billion VND provided by a bank.

Binh Phuoc FC is currently ranked second in the 2024-2025 First Division and is highly likely to qualify for the play-off match against the second-to-last team in the 2024-2025 V-League to gain promotion. If they achieve promotion, Binh Phuoc FC will certainly need to buy more talented players to compete, as they cannot simply merge with a team with a poor squad and struggling to stay in the First Division like Dong Nai.

"We have no information on this matter yet and are awaiting the opinion of the provincial leaders following the merger," a representative of Binh Phuoc Club shared.

Without strong financial backing from sponsors, Binh Dinh FC is now struggling to avoid relegation. Therefore, the future of Binh Dinh FC is a matter of great concern for the players. Meanwhile, a representative from HAGL FC stated: "We are still preparing as usual for the new 2025-2026 season."

As for SHB Da Nang FC, they are currently at the bottom of the V-League 2024-2025 table and are likely to be relegated to the First Division next season. Therefore, whether SHB Da Nang will merge with Quang Nam to remain in the V-League 2025-2026 remains to be seen.

Will the two brothers invest in a football team together?

With 14 consecutive wins, Phu Dong Ninh Binh FC is almost certain to be promoted to the V-League. Therefore, the question of whether or not they will merge with Nam Dinh FC is also receiving a lot of attention.

This is because Nam Dinh FC is the reigning champion and boasts many quality stars. Phu Dong Ninh Binh is also equally strong, with many stars of Vietnamese football.

More importantly, both teams are invested in by two owners who are brothers: Nguyen Van Thien (Nam Dinh) and Nguyen Duc Thuy (Phu Dong Ninh Binh).

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NGUYEN KHOI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lieu-co-sap-nhap-cac-clb-bong-da-2025042409172928.htm