Saigon FC dropped out of the tournament

"Saigon FC has sent an official notice of not participating in the National First Division. According to the regulations, this team will be fined to compete in the Third Division," said the leader of Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company VPF. shared with MetaSports on the evening of 3/3.

In the 2022 season, the main sponsor encountered difficulties, so the internal affairs of Saigon FC were chaotic. They finished at the bottom of the V-League and had to be relegated. The coaching staff and players of the team then scattered everywhere. However, Saigon FC still registered to compete in the 2023 National First Division to keep the sale for Lam Dong. Under the professional football regulations amended and supplemented in 2023, a team does not need 14 old players to transfer to another party.

But the deal fell through at the last minute. According to regulations, the application for converting a non-professional football club into a professional club must be approved by VFF at least 60 days before the opening. Lam Dong is playing outside professionally, in the Second Division, and cannot change its name when the First Division will open in 40 days.

With Saigon dropping out of the tournament, the First Division is left with 10 clubs. VPF will have to re-draw the schedule of this tournament and the National Cup.

Saigon Club is facing the possibility of being wiped out, because there are no sponsors and players to play in third place.

Lam Dong will continue to play in the Second Division. They have just built a stadium in Da Lat with a capacity of 20,000 seats, capable of organizing professional matches, and have just brought in former Thai player Isawa Sington as head coach. They also recruited a number of other former Vietnamese players for their professional ambitions.