Clubs suddenly 'turn around': Withdraw proposal to use 4 foreign players at the same time, instead...

From "4-4" ambition to a more balanced solution

Previously, on July 9, a series of football teams in the V-League such as Hanoi FC, Nam Dinh , Hanoi Police, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Ha Tinh... simultaneously sent a proposal to VPF and VFF, requesting to register 4 foreign players and be allowed to use all 4 on the field in a match in the V-League 2025–2026 and the National Cup.

The reason given is to help clubs have stronger forces and increase squad depth, especially in the context that some teams will participate in international arenas.

However, just 2 days later, these clubs proactively withdrew their proposal to use 4 foreign players at the same time. Instead, they agreed to keep the original draft regulations: a maximum of 4 foreign players can be registered, but only 3 can be on the field at the same time in a match.

According to research, the withdrawal of the proposal comes from many factors. Firstly, concerns about the imbalance between the teams. Not every club has enough financial resources to recruit 4 quality foreign players. Allowing the use of all 4 foreign players on the field could create a big gap between the "big guys" and the remaining teams.

Second, the use of too many foreign players on the field can easily lead to limited opportunities for domestic players, especially young talents. This goes against the long-term development orientation of Vietnamese football - where training domestic players is still considered a core strategy. Another factor that has been mentioned is the reaction from public opinion and fans, when many opinions say that V-League should focus on developing domestic players, instead of relying too much on foreign players to improve the quality of the tournament.

Third, if 4 foreign players are registered - playing 4, the 2 teams participating in the Asian arena will have an advantage over the rest. Because if any player is injured, the teams with more foreign players registered will be able to replace them immediately. The remaining teams will have to accept playing with less than the maximum number of foreign players allowed.

Currently, the plan agreed upon by the majority of clubs and the Organizing Committee is: Register a maximum of 4 foreign players/club for each season. Only a maximum of 3 foreign players are allowed to be used on the field at the same time.

This option not only creates conditions for clubs to have more depth in their squads and more flexibility in rotating players, but also maintains fair competition between teams. At the same time, it still maintains development opportunities for domestic players and is suitable for the financial reality of most clubs in the V-League.

Waiting for official decision from VFF on foreign players, V-League draw on July 14

It is expected that the final decision on foreign player regulations will be announced by VFF and VPF at the conference to draw lots for the new season's schedule, taking place on July 14. The 2025-2026 V-League season will officially kick off on August 15.