Le Cong Vinh will be the first Vietnamese footballer to play in Portuguese Liga, one of the best European football tournaments. Cong Vinh has signed a short-term contract with Leixoes SC Club.

The chief coach of the Vietnamese national football squad Henrique Calisto was the “broker” for the deal between Cong Vinh and the Portuguese club.

After the Asian Football Federation Cup (AFF Cup 2008), Calisto commented that there were some players of the Vietnamese national team who could play in European tournaments. Cong Vinh is the most outstanding among them.

Through Calisto, who was the chairman of the coach council in Portugal before he came to Vietnam, Leixoes SC met with Cong Vinh. This club reached an agreement with Cong Vinh’s club, T&T Hanoi. Accordingly, the Vietnamese striker will play for Leixoes SC at the Portuguese Liga from September to December 31, 2009.

The details of this short-term contract have not been disclosed but during the time playing for Leixoes SC, Cong Vinh will be allowed to return to Vietnam to play for the national squad in the qualifier matches of the Asian Cup 2011 (against Syria on November 14 and 18).

Vietnamese players have gone abroad before Cong Vinh but none have succeeded, namely Vietnam’s former top striker Le Huynh Duc with China’s Lifan club, Dong Tam Long An club’s striker Viet Thang in Portugual, Binh Duong’s Huu Thang in the US, and HCM City’s Le Trung Tuan in Thailand.

However, Cong Vinh is not concerned by the lack of a successful precedent. “Playing in the Portuguese Liga is the dream of any Vietnamese player,” Vinh said. “I consider this lucky and I’m very eager to join this tournament. I hope I will impress audiences in Leixoes jersey.”

Leixoes SC currently ranks sixth of 16 teams in the 2008-2009 football season, with 45 points.

VietNamNet/VNE