HANOI (26 Jan 2013) – To make Vietnam’s V-League more commercially viable, the Vietnam Professional Football JSC (VPF) have gained Japanese expertise in the form of Kazuyoshi Tanabe in his new post as VPF Deputy General Director.
Following the closure of several clubs in the V-League which resulted in a number of players losing their playing career, the VPF are looking at Kazuyoshi to provide them with insights into the proper administration of top flight football in the country.
And Kazuyoshi’s observation could not have been more direct to the point.
“In the current context of Vietnamese football, to develop football, we need the efforts of the whole society. The VPF, VFF and clubs have to devote dedication and sacrifice personal interests. In Japan, football has grown significantly from the number 0 to become a regular team in the FIFA World Cup thanks to very enthusiastic people,” said Kazuyoshi.
“Football clubs in Vietnam still depend too much on a donor. So when the donor falls into economic crisis, the club will crumble.
“With 20 years of experience in the J-League, I realize that, it is better for football teams to have 5-6 businesses behind them. If a business falls into crisis and face financial difficulties, 4-5 other businesses will stand out.
The club name should be immutable because it is representative for a locality. Clubs must be localized to attract the audiences and local sponsors. Vietnamese clubs do not have these basics so they do not develop in a sustainable manner.”
