VietNamNet Bridge – At 3pm today, February 18, Tanaka Koji, 58, will officially become the chief organizer of V-League - the most important football league in Vietnam after a signing ceremony with the Vietnam Professional Football JSC (VPF).

Mr. Koji Tanaka.

Former player of the Japanese national team said: "It's an honor for me to be introduced to Vietnam to receive this important mission. I would thoroughly learn about the Vietnam football and would like to receive the active support of the collective behind. I will try to quickly get into the job and run the league well."

So far, Koji Tanaka has just watched a V-League game between Ninh Binh and Dong Nai. The Japanese expert returned to Hanoi on the evening of February 16. He met with the VPF officials the next day and is going to sign a labor contract today.

VPF general director Pham Ngoc Vien said: "We have noticed that Mr. Koji Tanaka is very enthusiastic, passionate and highly professional. These are the criteria that VPF sets when looking for the V-League chief organizer."

Vien is officially transferring the position of the V-League chief organizer to Koji Tanaka today.

It is expected that the Japanese expert would make the V-League more professional more attractive.

However, VPF Chairman Vo Quoc Thang confirmed that the Japanese expert alone would not be able to change the V-League without the support of V-League teams.

Previously, another Japanese specialist, Tanabe, worked as a consultant to VPF’s Chairman Vo Quoc Thang. A short time later, Tanabe returned to Japan due to illness.

Nam Nguyen