Recently, there has been much speculation about which football team will have to leave Hang Day Stadium. According to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) regulations for national leagues, a stadium can only be used by a maximum of two teams.
At the end of 2023, the AFC issued a document guiding the registration for participation in Asian club competitions from the 2024/2025 season. Accordingly, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and its members must comply with six criteria including professional standards; club licensing system; stadiums; logistics, visas, and accommodations; sports integrity; organization of professional football competitions.
Violation of any of the six criteria will lead to the AFC cutting the direct slot for Vietnamese football to participate in the Asian club competitions. In such a case, the direct slot will be transferred to another member football federation.
Currently, three teams are sharing Hang Day Stadium: Hanoi FC, The Cong Viettel, and CAHN. According to AFC’s regulation, one of these three teams will not be allowed to register Hang Day Stadium as their home ground for the 2024/2025 season.
The latest information obtained by Vietnam Sports News indicates that a meeting between the three Hanoi clubs and the Vietnam Football Federation, which oversees professional football, will take place next week. VFF will listen to the opinions of the clubs during this meeting.
As of now, no decision has been made on which team will have to leave Hang Day Stadium. The final decision on whether Hanoi FC, The Cong Viettel, or Hanoi Police FC will leave will be made by the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports.
Among the three teams, Hanoi FC has the most significant association with Hang Day Stadium. Since its establishment in 2006, Hanoi FC has used Hang Day as its home ground. The club has invested heavily in infrastructure, pitch maintenance, and facility upgrades to meet competition standards. Hang Day Stadium is also where Hanoi FC unveiled local football talents who have contributed to the national team and youth teams, such as Quang Hai, Hung Dung, Duy Manh, and Van Hau.
In 2017, Hanoi T&T was approved to change its name to Hanoi Football Club (Hanoi FC), taking over the management of Hang Day Stadium. Hanoi FC has represented the capital city in youth competitions and continental tournaments.
Meanwhile, The Cong Viettel has been using Hang Day Stadium since 2018. The military team, along with Hanoi FC, shared Hang Day Stadium before Hanoi Police FC also started using it from the 2023 season.
The final decision on which team will continue using Hang Day Stadium is pending. However, given Hanoi FC’s long-term association with Hang Day Stadium, significant investment in facilities, and the name linked to the Hanoi locality, it would not be surprising for football fans if Hanoi FC continues its affiliation with Hang Day Stadium.
Leave a Reply