Showbiz is not at fault
The story of Vietnamese football players and showbiz is actually not new, but always leaves many debates when this is a relationship with many conflicts, which has left many valuable lessons. Let's start with the era of the internet, social networks and media explosion, then from Van Quyen, Cong Vinh, then the U23 Thuong Chau generation with Quang Hai, Bui Tien Dung, Cong Phuong... everyone can draw the conclusion that the boundary between keeping oneself and thị phi under the flashlight is very fragile.
Because temptations and unpredictable stories will put the main character on the scale of bravery, management ability and orientation that not every player, especially young players, has, or is cared for and helped. From young players suddenly becoming national symbols. From just living in the cycle of training and competition to being forced to get used to events, advertisements, and pressing media invitations... Just a little carelessness on the steering wheel called focus, everything outside will become an "anti-career" factor.
But, is showbiz at fault or not? With its nature of operation, it is also like society, there are good people, there are bad people, there is glory, there are scandals, but it also has value for society from a personal perspective. Therefore, the issue is not whether players appear in showbiz or not, but how they enter it with what mindset, at what time and within what framework.
Modern professional football is no longer just "playing football is enough". Players are part of the media, commerce and image ecosystem. Not to mention signing contracts with a brand, but they have an obligation to take photos, film advertisements, being invited to events, acting as representatives, appearing in public is understandable.
How to protect players?
Therefore, Dinh Bac is not the first, nor the last, but the next link in that logical chain. A young player, noticed, invited to an event, following the arrangement of the team. He does not call himself a star, nor actively chase after the lights. But precisely because he is young and new, every step is observed by millions of eyes, by hundreds of thousands of perspectives. Just a moment of shyness on stage is enough to create debate.
The most dangerous thing in these stories is extreme thinking. One side believes that players must "stay away from showbiz" to maintain integrity. The other side considers frequent appearances as a measure of success. Analyzing independently, both are not true. Reality shows that completely staying away is not feasible, and loosening control can easily turn the aura into tragedy.
Where is the boundary? The boundary lies in determining that expertise is still the pivot. When form is stable and position is solid, players have more choices. When professional factors are not certain, all external activities need to be carefully considered. The boundary should also be that players have the right to refuse, and at the same time who stands up to protect them against inappropriate invitations. That is why world stars have managers and representatives. But of course, it is also unavoidable that some people are very serious, while others are wasting their careers, when they let themselves "go off course".
Players are the central character, but the responsibility to protect them also belongs to the club, teams at all levels, representatives and even the event organizers. Why invite players, how to exploit images, is it suitable for their personality and development stage... Vietnamese football has paid enough for letting young talents swim in the limelight. Therefore, instead of asking players whether they should go into showbiz, the more accurate question is how to guide them, protect "national assets"? If that question cannot be answered, Dinh Bac and the next stars will continue to be put on the public's scale and each generation will learn the old lesson in a new way.
Ignoring questions like Truong Giang said in what capacity, role, for what purpose; which team sent Dinh Bac and whether they really wanted to go or not; showbiz is not an enemy of football. It only becomes a tragedy when players enter without boundaries, without a guide in a sober way.
