VietNamNet Bridge – Most of big footballer transfer affairs in Vietnam were conducted by Tran Tien Dai. This man, therefore, has become the best money maker in Vietnam’s football circles.

Tran Tien Dai started his soccer careers at a relatively low starting point - a trainee player of the HCM City Talent and Professional Sport School. He then played for the HCM City Police football team, as a reserve. In the early 90's, though Dai was a player of the best football team of Saigon, he was an unknown name.

Dai was not good as a football player but he had very good relationships with colleagues. He is praised as the most progressive and the one who knows how to do business and to capture opportunities.

After several years playing football, Dai gave up this career to study English at the Foreign Language University. He was also managed to become a coach but he failed.

When the V-League was launched, footballer brokerage was a very strange job in Vietnam and Dai was one of the first brokers in Vietnam.

In 2006, for the first time the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) organized a contest for footballer transfer agents in Vietnam. Dai and Nguyen Hoang Nguyen were the only two contestants but they both failed in the exams.

Though he could not receive the FIFA footballer agent certification, Dai opened the Dai Nguyen Company to supply football-related services. The company’s director is his brother. Since then, Dai has become the representative of most of foreign football players in Vietnam and a lot of Vietnamese players. He is also the “director” of the biggest football transfer deals in Vietnam.

His property at this time (even after incurring loss in broken deals) may be many millions of US dollars. Why Dai is very successful as a footballer transfer agent?

Dai is said to be a man who understands the time and the one with affection and gratitude.

He is willing to help players when they are in difficulty and foreign players who are lonely in Vietnam, even when he does not know clearly about their ability. Most of the players and football officials have good relations with Dai.

Therefore, football players see Dai when they need help or when they want to leave their FCs. By his well-spoken skills, his good relations, Dai could easily raise the price of players from several tens of thousands of USD to hundreds of thousands of USD. So far, most of the largest footballer transfer affairs in Vietnam have been conducted by Dai.

Dai is not only a broker, he used to be the managing director of Vissai Ninh Binh and Saigon Xuan Thanh FCs. At present, he is the chief coach of Saigon FC.

It is rumored that Dai also supplies football players for FCs in West Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East.
   
Recently, he made a big affair: transferring Navibank Saigon FC to Xuan Thuy Investment and Development JSC, at the price of VND21 billion ($1 million).

Top affairs conducted by Tran Tien Dai

- In 2009, striker Viet Thang moved from Dong Tam Long An to Vissai Ninh Binh, at the price of VND8 billion ($400,000)
- Also in 2009, striker Sy Manh, was transferred from Vissai Ninh Binh to Quang Nam Xuan Thanh (now Saigon Xuan Thanh FC) at the price of VND5 billion ($250,000)
- In 2011, Le Phuoc Tu moved from Thanh Hoa FC to Saigon Xuan Thanh, at the price of over VND12 billion ($600,000)
- Striker Quang Hai was transferred from Khatoco Khanh Hoa to Navibank Saigon, at the cost of VND9 billion ($450,000)
- Defender Viet Cuong, VND9 billion ($450,000), from Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC to Navibank Saigon
- Midfielder Tai Em, VND7 billion ($350,000), from Dogn Tam Long An to Navibank Saigon
- Midfielder Minh Duc, VND7 billion from Haiphong Cement to Saigon Xuan Thanh
- Midfielder Dinh Luat, VND6 billion ($300,000,) from Navibank Saigon to Saigon Xuan Thanh

Compiled by S. Tung