VietNamNet Bridge – Investing tens of millions of USD in football annually to get losses, while the number of audiences is going down, football business is now in the time of misfortune. Many investors have planed to dismiss their clubs though they still love football.
Several yeas ago, investing in football was a hobby of businessmen. The names of Mr. Thang, chair of Dong Tam FC, Mr. Duc of Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC, Mr. Long of Hoa Phat Hanoi FC have been very popular. Football became a good way for marketing.

2001 was the golden age of Vietnam’s football, when many FC sponsored by super-rich entrepreneurs were set up. Sponsors paid millions of US dollars to buy foreign players and to pay bonus for players.

The race among football investors has been weakening since 2005. In early September 2011, Hoa Phat group unexpectedly announced to dismiss the Hoa Phat Hanoi FC.

On September 8, Hanoi ACB FC’s Chair, Nguyen Duc Kien, publically criticize the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and pointed out problems in football business, including corruption related to referees.

Kien said investing several millions of USD in football is not much, but football is bleeding himself and other investors dry. His family and friends advised him to not invest in football any more.

“After Hoa Phat group dismissed Hoa Phat Hanoi, I’m seriously considering leaving the Hanoi ACB. Investors of four more FCs think like me,” Kien said.

Doan Nguyen Duc, Chair of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group and Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC, said that Vietnam’s football is lagging behind. Several years ago, fans had to queue for several hours and had to pay a lot of money to buy tickets for games between leading FCs like Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Dong Tam Long An, Hanoi ACB, Hoa Phat Hanoi, etc. But now all stadiums are quiet.

Duc did not deny the spiritual value created by football but economically, he said that investing in football is a great loss for investors. He said in 2001, investors spent around VND40 billion a year for a FC. But at that time, stadiums were always crowded. The investment is VND80 billion now but stadiums were out of fans.

Vietnam has 14 FCs and the total investment in these teams is up to several thousands of billion dong (dozens of million of USD). However, the role of investors at football tournaments is very weak.

Duc said he does not say goodbye to football because he has a great passion for this sport and the love for football of people in his hometown – Gia Lai province. “In a poor province like Gia Lai, football is spiritual food,” he said.

Chair of Dong Tam Long An, Vo Quoc Thang, said he has invested in football for nearly ten years and he has never earned profit from the sport. He said it is a big problem when so many companies compete to invest in football. This is a great waste of money, which make football unhealthy while Vietnam is still poor.

“If the situation is not improved, I will cut down investment in football though this move may make Dong Tam Long An to be ousted from the V-League. We need a healthy football environment!” Thang said.

He said he has been to many countries and foreigners could not believe that a poor country like Vietnam pumped huge sums of money into football and clubs paid a lot of money to footballers.

Police to probe football refs’ offer of match win

The Ministry of Public Security said it is all set to investigate a charge by Hanoi ACB club chairman, that some referees offered wins to any team willing to pay them VND500 million (US$24,400).

Nguyen Duc Kien had said this at a conference held in Hanoi on September 8, to review last season which ended amid charges of corruption by referees.

He himself had been made such an offer ahead of the penultimate V-League match between Hoa Phat Hanoi and Dong Tam Long An on August 14. He is the patron of Hoa Phat.

The Hanoi club ended up winning 3-2 despite rejecting it.

Hoa Phat coach, Nguyen Thanh Vinh, confirmed the referees had made the offer.

The officials for the scandalous game were referee Vu Bao Linh – voted the second best referee in Vietnam this year -- linesmen Nguyen Phong Vu and Nguyen Ngoc Ha, fourth referee Vo Minh Tri, and supervisors Tran Quoc Dung and Pham Chu Thien.

The Vietnam Football Federation vice chairman, Nguyen Lan Trung, said police officers from the ministry would begin their probe this week.

PV