The Cong Club’s midfielder Thach Bao Khanh (L) vies for the ball with T&T’s defender Minh Duc in a 1-1 draw last week.

Vietnam’s top flight V-League completion of the first round saw a marked increase in match bonuses for teams’ good performances.

Many are predicting new record amounts as bonuses until now were always reserved for critical matches later in the season.

Bonus record

Four years ago, East Asia Bank-Pomina Steel Club offered a record total of VND1.5 billion (US$86,000) for three wins to avoid being relegated to the lower First Division.

Not long after that, Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) Club owner Doan Nguyen Duc said he would put up VND1 billion ($57,300) if the team beat Dong Tam Long An (DTLA) which was then being coached by Henrique Calisto.

To many people’s surprise, in the first round of V-League this year, at least four clubs - T&T Hanoi, The Cong, Hai Phong and SHB Da Nang - announced big bonuses for wins or draws, raising questions about where the money was coming from.

T&T Hanoi’s team, for instance, received VND300 million ($417,200) for the draw with The Cong last week; and Da Nang players were awarded VND300 million for the 1-0 win against Hai Phong. Before the match, Hai Phong managers promised their team VND600 million to win.

A source close to the team said The Cong promised players more than VND800 million ($45,800) if they beat Hai Phong at Lach Trach Stadium in Sunday’s game.

Last week, The Cong’s sponsor Viettel offered the same amount for a win against T&T Hanoi; but Coach Vuong Tien Dung and his players didn’t win to claim their money.

The way things are going, bonuses will be superseding previous amounts before the end of the 27-week season.

Speaking to Thanh Nien, owner of T&T Hanoi and Da Nang clubs Do Quang Hien said professional football now needs big bonuses; otherwise, the clubs can’t improve.

Hien said the bonuses for players use almost half the average VND30-40 billion ($1.7-2.3 million) investment for a team in a season. There are different funds for buying or transferring players, Hien added. All together, T&T may need VND60 or 70 billion ($3.4-4 million) a season.

The Cong Managing Director Quan Trong Hung said bonuses at The Cong are still modest. However, his team’s VND300-400 million bonus for a win is still a dream for players at many other clubs.

Loads of cash

When northern clubs announced big bonuses for each win or draw, clubs like Binh Duong and DTLA in the south and HAGL in the Central Highlands took action to be more generous.

Binh Duong Managing Director Tran Van Duong said, “We have to offer bonuses these days. Otherwise, players won’t do their best. But we do it our way. We don’t make big announcements. We just have a bonus of VND300 million for a win and nothing for a draw. A bonus is just to encourage the whole team. Our club’s main policy is to give players a good monthly income.”

DTLA Managing Director Pham Phu Hoa said the club has a committee specifically to take care of bonuses; players are gauged by their contributions to the club.

At HAGL, the bonuses depend very much on the owner’s feelings. If the team plays well, Duc may offer very big bonuses. The club’s plan includes winning the V-League championship. If that happens, the entire bonuses together will not be less than $1 million.

Other less wealthy clubs like Khatoco Khanh Hoa, HCMC Club and even Dong Thap have increased their bonuses to VND150 million from the previous VND100 million for a win.

Reported by Quang Tuyen