Illustration by Trịnh Lập

By Thanh Nga

The story of three female players from the HCM City football team joining Thái Nguyên T&T club for the upcoming season highlights the professional nature of women's football in Việt Nam. This transfer marks a new era for Vietnamese women's football and is expected to enhance the competitiveness and quality of the domestic championship.

Thái Nguyên T&T made a significant move by signing three Vietnamese national players simultaneously: Trần Thị Kim Thanh, Nguyễn Thị Bích Thùy and Trần Thị Thu. Thanh, the current Vietnamese Golden Ball winner, and Thùy, the Vietnamese Bronze Ball recipient, add immense value to the team. Similar to their male counterparts, these players are receiving substantial salaries and transfer fees that reflect their worth.

Supporting women's football financially improves the players' livelihoods and represents a crucial step towards greater professionalism in women's football. After enduring numerous challenges and dedicating relentless efforts, female players are finally being recognised and valued on par with their male colleagues. The contracts secured by the abovesaid players pave the way for the future of Vietnamese women's football.

"These contracts will have a positive impact on training. Young players will see a future in such contracts, which is essential for the long-term development of women's football. When female players can earn a living and even achieve wealth through football, many families will support their children pursuing a football career," said Đỗ Vinh Quang, vice chairman of the board of directors and deputy general director of the T&T group, the sponsor of Thái Nguyên.

This trend of high-profile transfers is no longer an anomaly. Two years ago, Vietnamese women's football witnessed three players from HCM City, including two national team members, joining Thái Nguyên, which was supported by the T&T Group.

This move aimed to bridge the gap in expertise between Thái Nguyên and the country's top teams by attracting talented players from other clubs. Thái Nguyên's strategy included offering better remuneration than many other teams, as well as introducing the concept of transfer fees to the women's football scene.

In the 2024 season, Thái Nguyên continued their quest to strengthen the team by targeting several players from HCM City whose contracts had expired. With an annual transfer fee of around VNĐ400 - 500 million and a monthly salary of VNĐ30 million, Thái Nguyên successfully convinced Thanh, Thùy and Thu to sign two-year contracts. While these amounts may not be as substantial as those in men's football, they represent a significant breakthrough for female players.

In addition to the aforementioned players, Thái Nguyên also managed to acquire two key players from Hà Nội, albeit after months of persuasion and the promise of superior remuneration. Vietnamese women's football is displaying signs of a genuine transfer market.

Thái Nguyên T&T's trailblazing approach of offering attractive remuneration to players nationwide has reshaped the perception of women's football. Talented female players now have more options and can escape the challenging circumstances of competing in low-paying training environments.

This development has prompted experts like Phan Anh Tú to assert that choosing teams with better pay motivates players to contribute with greater confidence and provides families with a sense of security when supporting their daughters' football careers.

Nguyễn Văn Nhật, head of the women's football section at the Hà Nội Sports Competition and Training Centre, acknowledges the need for various solutions to retain key players. These solutions involve attracting more external resources to support players and creating an environment that fosters training and competition.

With several key players leaving the reigning national champions HCM City, the club faces the challenge of maintaining its position, prompting consideration of establishing a women's football joint-stock company to attract external resources. The ultimate goal is to retain key players, draw in talent from other regions, and secure increased funding for women's football.

The trend of players seeking higher income is a reasonable reflection of professional advancement, applicable to all professions, not just football. To advance professionally and enable national team participation in the World Cup, management models within teams must adapt to this new reality.

Even the risk of talent drain from prominent football training centres can be seen as an opportunity for localities to address systemic issues.

The recent surge in transfer activities will initially contribute to greater competition and improved quality in Vietnamese women's football.

When football clubs are willing to invest substantial amounts in players, each individual is compelled to contribute more to the team, thereby raising the overall quality of the national team.   VNS