Viettel FC stand ready for the upcoming V.League 1 season. Photo courtesy of Viettel FC

Football

HÀ NỘI — As the highly anticipated V.League 1 season is set to kick off this weekend, Viettel FC are preparing to hit the field with determination and a clear target in mind – finishing in the top three of the league.

“In the 2023 season, Viettel will have many new policies to improve the team. We aim to reach the top three at the league, competing for the championship and reaching the final of the National Cup,” chairman of Viettel FC Tào Đức Thắng said as the team gathered on Tuesday.

“This year, Viettel FC will continue to focus on youth training. Viettel set a target that the percentage of players trained by their training centre will account for at least 85 per cent of the squad,” Thắng added.

Viettel finished fourth in the league last season, but they marked their success by contributing to the Vietnamese national team.

They contributed eight players to the senior team, accounting for 31 per cent of the team. The contribution rate of youth players to the U17, U19, and U21 teams is 43 per cent with 27 players.

Nguyễn Hoàng Đức, Nguyễn Thanh Bình, Nhâm Mạnh Dũng and Phan Tuấn Tài all featured prominently on the team that won 31st SEA Games gold. They also received certificates of merit from the Prime Minister.

The team also officially announced the signing of a contract with striker Jefferson Elias from Brazil, born in 1998. Elias is a prominent player from the youth training academy Atletico Minero of Brazil.

He also played for Democrata and Patrocinense. Last year, he scored 11 goals in 18 matches for URT.

Viettel will face defending champions Hà Nội FC this Sunday in the opening match of the national premiere league.

“The most anticipated game of the season is also the opening match that makes us extremely excited. The challenges are not small when we meet the defending champions, but we will make our greatest efforts to get the best result for the match,” captain Bùi Tiến Dũng said. VNS