Hoang Anh Gia Lai club’s chairman Doan Nguyen Duc said he would “protest to the end and be the winner,” over new V League rules on foreign footballers.

One Vietnamese nationalized footballer at a time in V League

At the second conference of the VFF Steering Board on November 18, most members voted for regulations stating that each club is permitted to use one Vietnamese naturalized player and three foreign players at a time. Therefore, each team can have up to four players who are not of Vietnamese origin appearing at a time in a match.

Duc told VNExpress online newspaper that football is not different from other fields of life and it must obey the country’s law, the Labour Code and FIFA’s rules.

“Once they are granted with Vietnamese citizenship, foreign players have the right to enjoy all interests as Vietnamese citizens. The VFF should not make the decision to discriminate against them as if they are second and the third-class citizens in society,” Duc said.

“I think restriction of Vietnamese naturalized footballers at V-League is a decision made by a group of officials at VFF. They have set their own rules,” he added.

Most representatives of clubs at V-League say that permitting many Vietnamese naturalized players to join matches at a time (as domestic players) will hinder the development of young Vietnamese players and it create unfair environment among clubs.

Duc disagreed, saying: “Foreign players have contributed greatly to Vietnam’s football. Their presence urges Vietnamese players to try harder to compete with foreign players. Vietnam’s football can’t develop without foreign players”.

“The V-League is the most attractive football tournament in the region (Southeast Asia). I think this is contributed to by foreign players. The VFF has no good reason to go against the common development of Vietnam’s football. They cannot make decisions against Vietnam’s Constitution and Labour Code”.

However, it has been pointed out that poorer football clubs cannot employ foreign or Vietnamese naturalized players like Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Dong Tam, Binh Duong or Ninh Binh. However, Duc said that is down to the commercial structures of each club.

About the consequences of VFF’s recent decision, Duc said that firstly, Vietnamese naturalized players will become unemployed.

“When they are naturalized in Vietnam, we have to ensure stable job for them. They also voluntarily contribute to Vietnam’s football. Hoang Anh Gia Lai currently has two Vietnamese naturalized players – Sakda and Nirut. If VFF allows only one playing at a time, the other will have to miss out. If they don’t play football, they will have no pay. Will the VFF pay for them?”

“I think that foreign players who are naturalized in Vietnam will sue the VFF, not clubs. I completely support them and will help them legally, including hiring lawyers for them. Not only me but other clubs in Vietnam will protest to the end,” Duc said.

“Hoang Anh Gia Lai will help them to complain to the Justice Ministry, the President and report VFF to FIFA. I believe we will win,” he stated.

At the VFF’s recent meeting, only executive manager Pham Phu Hoa of Dong Tam Long An didn’t vote for the VFF’s new rule. However, the meeting lacked five members, including representatives of clubs using Vietnamese naturalized players. Most of the 18 members who participated in the vote belong to clubs that don’t have Vietnamese naturalized players.

VietNamNet/VNE