VietNamNet Bridge – As of the second leg of the national football championship V-League 2011, which will begin this weekend, at least five foreign players will join in the status of Vietnamese players.

 

Foreign players Doan Marcelo of Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC, Nguyen Van Rodgers of Thanh Hoa FC, Le Van Tan or Jonathan Quartey of Hanoi ACB FC, Le Hoang Phat Thierry of Song Lam Nghe An and Dang Amaobi of SQC Binh Dinh will be recognized as domestic players at the V-Leage after being naturalized into Vietnamese.

 

In other countries, a player of foreign origin is only given the honor of citizenship if he or she is well integrated into the local culture and society. In Vietnam, non-native footballers came to Vietnam on a football contract with local clubs and were later awarded citizenship with strong legal support from their clubs.

 

The reason these clubs wanted to naturalize these foreigners is to evade the local rule that caps the number of foreign players on any team at three.

 

There are 19 naturalized football players in Vietnam, including: Huynh Kesley Alves (Saigon Xuan Thanh), Nguyen Hoang Helio (Song Lam Nghe An), Nguyen Rogerio (SHB.Da Nang), Nguyen Trung Son (Quảng Nam), Doan Van Sakda (Hoang Anh Gia Lai), Le Tostao (Dong Tam Long An); Doan Van Nirut, Phan Van Santos (N.SG); Dinh Hoang Max, Dinh Hoang La, Le Hoang Tran Xi, Hoang Vissai (Vissai Ninh Binh); Tran Le Martin (Hoa Phat Hanoi), Phan Le Issac (Hoa Phat Hanoi), Doan Marcelo (Hoang Anh Gia Lai), Nguyen Van Rodgers (Thanh Hoa), Le Van Tan (Hanoi. ACB), Le Hoang Phat Thierry (Song Lam Nghe An), Dang Amaobi (SQC Binh Dinh).

 

Of them, only two (Huynh Kesley Alves and Dinh Hoang Max) are naturalized “naturally” after they got married with Vietnamese women.

 

PV