Have the right to dream…
Coach Hoang Anh Tuan has started his new job at Becamex Binh Duong club after ending his interim role at the Vietnam U23 team a few months ago. In sharing with the media, he mentioned Luka Modric as a factor he wanted to bring to Binh Duong in particular and Vietnamese football in general. Everyone knows that Modric is one of the big names in world football, having won the Golden Ball in the era when Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were rivals competing for this award.
Whether the 56-year-old coach's words are just for fun or reality, it will make Vietnamese football people think. 15 years ago, Vietnamese football made waves when Hai Phong club signed a contract with Denilson - a star with top personal skills. At that time, this midfielder was 32 years old, but with the Brazilian brand and what it showed in his career, Vietnamese football was really excited. Unfortunately, that adventure only lasted 3 weeks.
But that alone is enough to see that, with a football background like Vietnam, any big name's presence will be a boost for development. So, assuming, if Modric really comes - at least in 2025 because he just renewed his contract with Real Madrid, then the excitement is abundant.
Firstly, professionally, even at the age of 39, Modric is still qualified to play and show class in the V.League. Second, Modric may not be the type of star that attracts flashes of light, but as Mr. Tuan said, what Modric has shown in his career is a role model, an example, a motivation, and a push for other players. young colleagues. That is what Vietnamese football needs, but people rarely see that in domestic players.
… and reality
The awareness of young players is an issue, but in a broader perspective, what does Vietnamese football have to attract - or more accurately, convince - the team's captain?
Croatia? Let's not talk about financial factors - because clearly V.League clubs cannot compare with tournaments like Saudi Arabia.
Assuming Modric agrees to play football in the V.League, what will await him in the S-shaped strip of land? It's the stadiums that don't meet standards, it's the football that doesn't always focus on football, it's the promotion of achievement over goals, it's the football that doesn't show proper attention to football development. young rock...
Not that there are none, but perhaps too few to be proud of. Look no further, in V.League , only a few clubs have a good youth training system, so what is heartbreaking is that the number is so large that they provide players for many other teams. And now, remember that Vietnam's youth groups are failing alarmingly in both the regional and continental arenas.
After the success of a generation of players, Vietnamese football thought it was number 1 in Southeast Asia in youth training. But actually it's not. There was a time when we laughed at the weak football platforms in the region when they gave opportunities to young players very early, so now, "the sound of pistols in the past has become a cannon shot in the present." "on yourself" because of a series of failures of the U23, U19, and U16 teams.
If we do not focus on youth football, the consequences will not be seen right in front of our eyes, but time will tell and will prove what path we are taking. Sometimes, people still wonder what Vietnamese football is really training and developing.
No one taxes dreaming, but dreaming also needs to look back at what its foundation is, whether there is enough basis for that dream or not.
