SHB Đà Nẵng builds strong football brand

SHB Đà Nẵng team celebrate winning the national second-flight football championship, V.League 2. The team got back on track in the premier football championship, V.League 1 in 2024-25. Photo courtesy of Tuân Sports

ĐÀ NẴNG — Getting back on track of the premier football championship, V.League 1, SHB Đà Nẵng is undergoing a major face list, revealing a new strategy for premium quality-based football management and development over the next decade.

A business-controlled and executive format will be built on how to promote it as a destination and in creating an international standard football academy for Việt Nam and regional football.

Chairman of SHB Đà Nẵng club, Lê Văn Hiểu shared the idea of building a house of football for Đà Nẵng, on the foundation of well-invested infrastructure, training quality and education, under a self-financing and a business-operated football club.

“The club should be operated as a profitable and money-making sport business. Football is seen as an effective advertisement for sponsors and donors with mass exchanges recalled from members,” Hiểu said.

SHB Đà Nẵng's footballers play in a match at Hòa Xuân Stadium in Đà Nẵng. SHB Đà Nẵng expects to build a brand football in next decade. Photo courtesy of Lê Lâm

“We plan to issue membership cards for the first 1,000 fans with a package full season ticket of VNĐ780,000 (US$31.2), using QR code for smooth access among domestic and foreign fans as well as overseas Vietnamese.

“The membership card will promise different added value for holders when watching all SHB Đà Nẵng’s matches at the stadium and eating out or shopping at 32 addresses of the first SHB Đà Nẵng-linked businesses in the city,” he said.

Hiểu, who managed a mechanical electrical refrigeration Seatech company, explained that it’s not new management model of a football club, but Vietnamese clubs have been struggling to operate football clubs as successful businesses.

The central city’s people’s committee of Đà Nẵng decided to upgrade the current 20,000-seat Hòa Xuân Stadium into FIFA-accredited turf and facilities – which could host international matches and tournaments in the near future – with a total cost of VNĐ11 billion ($440,000).

A well-designed locker room, VIP lounge and rest room service will help create a really amazing football environment and a destination for travellers visiting Đà Nẵng, the club chairman added.

The team’s headquarter and Hòa Xuân Stadium will be a favourite check-in not only for Danangese fans, but tourists both domestic and international, he said.

Fans share a photo with SHB Đà Nẵng team after winning the V.League 2 championship in 2024 at Hòa Xuân Stadium in Đà Nẵng City.  Photo courtesy of Tuân Sports

The football brand of SHB Đà Nẵng should be promoted in fashion, jewellery, footwear, T-shirts and sport facilities for fans with a view of attracting up to 10,000 supporters to the club, Hiểu said.

The club chairman said the team’s membership only could bring in revenues of VNĐ7 billion ($280,000), while it needs an average of between VNĐ80 billion ($3.2 million) to VNĐ250 billion ($10 million) from sponsors to operate the team each year.

“At least VNĐ80 billion is needed for a V.League team running well in a year, ranging from training, competitions, players’ payment, young training system and other costs. The fund is relevant to annual minimum advertisement cost of a business, so sponsors do expect positive effects from football activities,” he explained.

He stressed that it’s a mutual partnership between businesses (sponsors) and successful performance of the football team, or an ecological system in the sports business.

“Sponsor’s brand will be widely boosted through the club’s good matches and mass exchanges on social network by millions of fans and members worldwide,” he said. "It’s also a reason that the joint-stock Sài Gòn-Hà Nội Bank has sponsored the team since 2007.”

Chairman of SHB Bank, Đỗ Quang Hiển said the bank has built strongly partnership with the Đà Nẵng team for nearly two decades.

Hiển said the team had won top prizes along with the bank’s sponsorship, even in the most difficult times when the team was relegated.

“We strongly commit to cover funding for the team not only as a business, but for the love of football and prosperous brand development of Đà Nẵng, a liveable city in Việt Nam. The two partners successfully gain win-win target in the business-football partnership,” Hiển said.

Football academy

Hòa Xuân Stadium in Đà Nẵng is being upgraded for the new football season in 2024-25. VNS Photo Công Thành

The establishment of an international accredited football academy would help Đà Nẵng earn sustainable development, a favourite rendezvous for not only those fascinated by football, but a well for football prodigies in the future, chairman of SHB Đà Nẵng club emphasised.

SHB Đà Nẵng has been seeking co-operations with football academies from Spain, Portugal and Brazil in building an international level SHB Đà Nẵng academy – which could provide full knowledge for young players in terms of language, life skills, nutrition and culture, he said.

The establishment of Đà Nẵng-based Academy would lure talents from domestic and ASEAN for professional footballers, he added.

“We could exchange players among partner academies or football clubs. Kids from SHB Đà Nẵng can join internship courses in Europe or Brazil following partnership agreements among academies,” he explained.

SHB Đà Nẵng has been building strict controls on the operational management of team from recruitment, training, daily nutrition, sports medicine for every player including those in the training system.

“We try to set up a professional environment for future football of Đà Nẵng, making its name on world map of football in terms of training, co-operation, investment and tourism.”

Central city football team SHB Đà Nẵng won the V.League championship in 1992-2009-2012, and two National Cup titles in 1993-2009, but it was shocked with relegation in 2022 before bouncing straight back into the top flight one year later.

SHB Đà Nẵng football team present gifts to kid patients at Đà Nẵng Paediatrics and Obstetrics Hospital on Children's Day. Photo courtesy of Lê Lâm

In past years, the team hosted visits by Barcelona football school in Asia and Oceania (FCBEscola) and Manchester City after SHB bank inked with Manchester City FC on affinity card bank partnerships in 2014 and Barcelona in 2016.

The team continues training up footballers in U11s and through to U21s, to compete in tournaments in 2024-25.