Province merger, one locality can have many football clubs

If based on the 34 provinces and cities after the merger, there are many clubs in the V-League and the First Division that are likely to be merged into one. First are Ho Chi Minh City Club and B.Binh Duong (both V-League), Ho Chi Minh City Youth Club and Ba Ria - Vung Tau (both First Division). Next are Quy Nhon Binh Dinh Club and Hoang Anh Gia Lai (both V-League), Quang Nam Club and SHB Da Nang (both V-League), Truong Tuoi Binh Phuoc Club and Dong Nai (both First Division), Nam Dinh Club (V-League) and Phu Dong Ninh Binh (First Division). The merger of provinces and cities is geographical, so many province or city names will no longer exist, but the brand names of football clubs will still be kept. Simply, the club name is associated with the sponsoring brand, such as Hoang Anh Gia Lai or Thep Xanh Nam Dinh. This has been confirmed by the leaders of the Department of Sports and Physical Training, VFF and VPF.

The Department of Sports and Physical Training believes that the merger will not have much impact on professional football clubs. Mr. Nguyen Hong Minh - Deputy Director of the Department of Sports and Physical Training said: "The sports sector of localities will definitely have to merge according to the new administrative structure. Professional football will not be affected, because a locality can have many clubs". VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan also affirmed that it is normal for a locality to have 2-3 professional clubs: "VFF will proactively grasp the situation to proactively handle the situation in case of problems arising".

In the capital, there have been many clubs operating such as The Cong, Cong An Ha Noi , Ha Noi FC. The teams all have their own playgrounds, their own fans and each "capital derby" is very passionate. Regarding the issue of whether there will be a merger of clubs between the two localities, a representative of Binh Duong province shared: "The important issue is whether each club has a sustainable development plan or not, not depending on the merger of localities. Ho Chi Minh City and B.Binh Duong clubs both operate according to the business model, with business expenses, not using the state budget". Similarly, a representative of Ho Chi Minh City said: "Football operates under the mechanism of a joint stock company, so the more football teams Ho Chi Minh City has, the better".

If there is a change in the sports industry, there will be a change in the Sports Training Centers under the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. These are athletes trained under the state budget. Mr. Nguyen Hong Minh also said: "Youth training centers and sports training centers will have to be reconsidered, not excluding the possibility of reorganization. National tournaments and National Sports Festivals will follow the new administrative units".

Tuan Ngoc

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/tinh-sap-nhap-mot-dia-phuong-co-the-co-nhieu-cau-lac-bo-bong-da-post547932.html