Seven naturalized foreign footballers are set to sue the Vietnam Football Federation following a new rule that restricts V-League clubs from fielding more than one naturalized player in a match.

Goalkeeper Dinh Hoang La (photo: Thanh Nien)

Seven naturalized foreign footballers are set to sue the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) following a new rule that restricts V-League clubs from fielding more than one naturalized player in a match.

One Vietnamese nationalized footballer at a time in V League

Hoang Anh Gia Lai protests VFF’s new rules on foreign footballers

The seven are Phan Van Santos from Dong Tam Long An club, Phan Le Martin and Tran Le Issac from Hoa Phat Hanoi, Dinh Hoang Max and Dinh Hoang La from Vissai Ninh Binh, Doan Van Nirut and Doan Van Sakda from Hoang Anh Gia Lai.

The revelation comes from lawyer Le Thanh Son. Son said there are 12 naturalized players in Vietnam at present who are playing for eight clubs. “If all eight clubs boycott V-League 2010 for unfair treatment, what will happen?” he asked.

AIC has written to the VFF and is waiting for its response before starting legal proceedings.

If the VFF fails to revoke regulations, the seven are also considering complaints to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Justice, the Government, the Presidential Office and FIFA, Son said.

Son, former legal advisor to VFF, said the federation’s new regulation violates many laws. He said: “The Nationality Law and Vietnam’s legal documents don’t include the concept of ‘naturalized citizens’. Everyone who has been granted Vietnamese citizenship is treated as a Vietnamese citizen. VFF’s restriction is breaking the law”.

“The ball is now in VFF’s court,” Son said. “We still suggest VFF temporarily delays implementing new regulations but instead collect clubs’ opinions as well as those of naturalized players and their representatives. VFF should also consult opinions of leaders. Vietnam’s football is now confronting a big challenge. The role of VFF is extremely important at this moment”.

VFF chairman, Nguyen Trong Hy, refused to comment about the issue saying the VFF has not received any communication from the players. The VFF has recommended to the Ministry of Justice to adopt the new regulation and the outcome depends on the ministry’s decision, he added.

A meeting between VFF, the Ministry of Justice and representatives of related agencies took place on November 29 in Hanoi. At the meeting, VFF was recommended to obey the law, meaning naturalized players must be treated equally.

However, it is said VFF will organize a meeting to collect opinion in mid-December. Accordingly, VFF may ask V-League clubs to use seven players trained or developed by local clubs. This regulation is another way of limiting the number of naturalized players because besides 7 domestic players, each team can use up to three foreign players leaving only one place for a naturalized player.

Dong Tam Long An’s executive director Pham Phu Hoa said his club would protest this regulation because it is unfeasible. He said this would still cause controversy.

The Vietnam Football Championship was turned into the professional organization named V-League in the 2000-2001 football season. From then on, foreign players were permitted to play football in Vietnam.

In 2007, Brazil’s Santos was the second foreign player to be naturalized in Vietnam. The first was Ludovic Casset (France), who has a Vietnamese name – Ma Tri. However Casset’s mother is Vietnamese.

Getting Vietnamese citizenship for foreign players has become a trend in Vietnam and the fastest way to enhance the strength for local football clubs. At present, there are 12 foreign players naturalized in Vietnam, including: Phan Van Santos (Dong Tam Long An), Doan Van Nirut and Doan Van Sakda (Hoang Anh Gia Lai), Phan Le Martin, Tran Le Issac (Hoa Phat Hanoi), Dinh Hoang Max and Dinh Hoang La (Ninh Binh), Huynh Kesley (Binh Duong) and Nguyen Rogerio (Da Nang).

Meanwhile other teams are completing formalities to naturalise in Vietnam for other foreign footballers, such as Jonathan, Issifu (Khanh Hoa), Das Silva and Deiryo (Ninh Binh), Helio and Valdiney (Song Lam Nghe An), Aniekan and Williams (Hai Phong), Issawa and Tshamala (Dong Tam), Almeida (Da Nang) and Abbey (Binh Duong).

PV