Vietnamese Football: When Thể Công People Talk About Thể Công

22/10/2025 10:27:00 VictoryVox

In a casual conversation over tea and drinks with juniors, including former stars like Vũ Công Tuyền and Nguyễn Đức Thắng, the legendary player Nguyễn Cao Cường made some noteworthy remarks.

"People from Thể Công don’t strive to stand out, but many generations of players have worn the soldier’s jersey where discipline is the foremost principle. The spirit is unquestionable," said the legendary Vietnamese football striker.

Although Thể Công Viettel has corporate sponsorship, the core identity of this team still originates from the Army. One year after their promotion to the V-League in 2019, Thể Công Viettel immediately clinched the championship in the 2020 season, a true achievement by coach Trương Việt Hoàng and his young squad. However, it seems this was the limit for Thể Công Viettel in the V-League era and is difficult to repeat.

"When I joined Thể Công Viettel, almost nothing needed to be prepared. Everything was already set. Many players, including foreigners like Alan, Leo Artur, and Lucao, were just waiting for me to arrive at a club so they could follow. Up to now, I am proud to have brought the best players back to my old team," former Thể Công Viettel coach and star Nguyễn Đức Thắng told Sports & Culture.

Mr. Thắng also acknowledged that when he returned to the club where he made his name, Hoàng Đức and Đức Chiến, two of Viettel’s brightest young stars, also expressed their wish to leave. In professional football, this is normal, but the celebration behavior of these two players after scoring against their former club recently at Ninh Bình Stadium was not supported.

Young players like Nhật Nam were promoted to Thể Công Viettel’s first team while coach Đức Thắng was still in charge. Photo: Hoàng Linh

"You must know where you grew up and who taught and gave you chances. Think carefully before you act," star Nguyễn Cao Cường explained to the juniors.

The old gives way to the new, waves follow waves, but the spirit can only be inherited, not replaced. The young players shining in Thể Công Viettel’s colors this season were promoted earlier by coach Nguyễn Đức Thắng. His successor from mid-last season, coach Velizar Popov, is surely benefiting.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Thể Công Viettel’s headquarters in Hòa Lạc and must admit, it is a model football center. It’s not as grand as Thành Long in Ho Chi Minh City, or Hàm Rồng (Gia Lai), or PVF Hưng Yên, but it is evidently perfect. Vietnamese football, if it wants to be self-reliant and develop further, needs more centers or academies like these.

Back to the story of Thể Công Viettel’s first team: the comeback victory against SHB Đà Nẵng in the 7th round was just another outstanding performance by coach Popov’s team. The Bulgarian coach’s ability was proven back when he led Thanh Hóa. Since coaches Henrique Calisto and Park Hang Seo, Vietnamese football has not found a coach with as much character as Popov. In a recent statement, coach Popov said that to win the V-League, a team needs more than just technical expertise on the field. "I’m sure you understand what I mean," Popov shared.

The Bulgarian coach’s opinion is not just talk. Thể Công Viettel’s 2020 V-League title was truly a rare exception among the 16 championships awarded since 2010.

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