What can we learn from the 'match' between bầu Đức and VPF?

It's not fair to say who's right or wrong, because the regulations regarding exclusive advertising deals in the V-League have existed for many years, including the period from 2012-2015. This was the time when bầu Đức was the Vice President of VPF, and later also held the position of Vice President of Finance of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).

Mr. Duc and his "associates" such as Mr. Kien, Mr. Thang, etc., initiated the establishment of VPF. If Mr. Duc finds the above regulations unreasonable, he has the full authority and ability to change them much earlier.

Mr. Duc and HAGL only spoke out when conflicts arose with VPF due to signing a contract with a new sponsor from Thailand. It should be noted that the V-League 2023 regulations, before being issued, had been approved by the clubs and the VFF Executive Committee, including representatives from HAGL.

Therefore, it cannot be said that HAGL and Chairman Duc were unaware of this regulation. And as confirmed by VPF, at the Vietnam Professional Football Conference in December 2022, HAGL did not raise any objections when the Organizing Committee announced the prohibited advertising categories in the V-League (including footballs and energy drinks).

However, it is important to note a very real possibility: that the Professional Football Regulations and the League Statutes may not keep pace with the changing realities of Vietnamese football.

In reality, securing sponsorship for the V-League has always been quite difficult. Furthermore, most V-League clubs, including HAGL, are still struggling to find sponsors, primarily relying on financial support from their owners. This explains why clubs easily approve regulations regarding exclusive product categories in the V-League, as their interests are largely unaffected.

VPF is a joint-stock company, and HAGL is also a shareholder like the other 13 teams. Here, VPF is justified in asserting that it is only acting in accordance with the Professional Football Regulations and the league's charter, as well as the Board of Directors' resolution. If it were to make an exception for HAGL without reason, VPF would have to face questions from the other clubs and demands to ensure the order and professionalism of the league.

It's also conceivable that as Vietnamese football changes and more teams are able to secure sponsorships, the VPF itself will be forced to review its regulations accordingly.

The saddest thing about this conflict is that it seems those at the top of Vietnamese football cannot come to an agreement. The football world is no stranger to the conflict between Mr. Duc and the VPF, specifically Chairman Tran Anh Tu. Not only Mr. Tu, but Mr. Duc has previously criticized many people, even saying others know nothing about football, most recently former VFF Vice President Le Van Thanh.

With 20 years of experience in football, the owner of HAGL has reason to be confident in himself. But over the past 20 years, Vietnamese football has made significant progress, and more and more individuals with new achievements have emerged. Mr. Le Van Thanh remains, to a greater or lesser extent, someone who has been closely associated with Vietnamese football and sports for many years, making certain contributions.

Mr. Tú is closely associated with the development of women's football and futsal, having led the Vietnamese futsal team to the World Cup twice. It's no coincidence that many in the football community believe the disagreements between the two sides have escalated, partly due to Mr. Đức's "superior" attitude towards the rest.

From another perspective, regarding the disagreement between HAGL and VPF, marketing expert Hoang Ha, former Marketing Director of Yamaha Vietnam, believes that this is not an isolated incident and occurs in many fields, not just football. It serves as a warning about the inadequacies of policies and regulations for the development of sports in general and sports economics in particular.

From the perspective of sponsors, whether league sponsors or clubs, the incident is creating a negative effect. According to Mr. Hoang Ha, all parties need to abide by the established regulations, and when unforeseen events arise, they should discuss and find harmonious solutions to avoid controversy.This incident originated from the club. Therefore, they should proactively approach the situation in a positive manner to avoid affecting the overall reputation of the league, the interests of the clubs, and the sponsors."Mr. Hoang Ha said.