Honoring the "stars" and the 25-year journey of professionalizing Vietnamese football

The event is not only an opportunity to honor the best individuals and teams of the season, but also a journey to connect cultural and traditional values, opening up new expectations for the country's football in the next stage of development.

The best names of the season

At the solemn ceremony held at Star Galaxy Event Center (87 Lang Ha, Hanoi ), the two names announced in the most important categories were Alan Grafite and Nguyen Hoang Duc.

Honoring the — Brazilian striker Alan Grafite was named “V.League's Best Player”

Brazilian striker Alan Grafite, in his first season with Hanoi Police Club (CAHN), was honored as “Best Player of V.League” thanks to his impressive performance with 14 goals in V.League and many contributions in other arenas.

Despite being injured and missing 6 matches, Grafite still achieved an efficiency of 0.78 goals/match - a number that is enough to reflect his great influence in CAHN's attack.

In addition, at the ASEAN Club Championship, the Brazilian striker also scored 6 goals, contributing to the team's runner-up position. Most memorable was his hat-trick in the National Cup final, helping CAHN defeat SLNA 5-0 to win the championship.

In the First Division (V.League 2), the title of “Best Player” was awarded to Nguyen Hoang Duc – central midfielder of Ninh Binh Club. Not only is he the conductor in the midfield, Hoang Duc also shows great influence in both playing style and fighting spirit.

With 3 goals, 2 assists and the ability to control the match, Hoang Duc became the symbol of an undefeated Ninh Binh (19 wins, 1 draw) and broke the scoring record with 58/60 maximum points. The appearance of the player who won the Vietnam Golden Ball twice is also a testament to the ambition of the ancient capital team, promising a competitive V.League season ahead.

Honoring young talents

In the category of “Best Young Player of V.League”, Le Van Thuan ( Thanh Hoa Club) was named. The player born in 2006 played 15 matches, scored 2 goals and became a bright spot in coach Velizar Popov’s youth player development strategy. Along with Nguyen Ngoc My, Van Thuan is part of the promising new generation of Thanh football.

In the First Division, the same title was awarded to Nguyen Hieu Minh – a 1.84m tall central defender of PVF-CAND Club. With his stable performance and solidity in defense, Hieu Minh is considered one of the promising names for the defense of U.23 Vietnam.

Along with young players like Le Van Ha (Hanoi), Pham Ly Duc (HAGL) or Nguyen Nhat Minh (Hai Phong), Hieu Minh shows the potential of a new generation of brave central defenders.

SLNA Club was awarded the prize for having the most young players on the field this season, with prominent faces such as goalkeeper Nguyen Van Viet, defender Nguyen Quang Vinh, Ho Van Cuong and midfielder Dinh Xuan Tien.

Great strategists

In the category of “Best Coach of V.League”, strategist Vu Hong Viet of Nam Dinh Club continued to affirm his mettle when helping the team from Thanh Nam successfully defend the championship. This is the second consecutive year he has been honored with this award.

In the First Division, the title of best coach went to Nguyen Viet Thang, who led Ninh Binh Club to a historic unbeaten streak.

The typical lineup of V.League season 2024/25 includes: Nguyen Dinh Trieu (Hai Phong); Quang Vinh (CAHN), Nguyen Thanh Chung (Hanoi), Adou Minh (Ha Tinh), Bui Tien Dung (Viettel); Nguyen Hai Long (Hanoi), Caio Cesar (Nam Dinh), Nguyen Quang Hai (CAHN); Nguyen Van Vi (Nam Dinh), Nguyen Tien Linh (Binh Duong), Alan (CAHN).

Meanwhile, the First Division best team includes names like Dang Van Lam, Nguyen Hoang Duc, Dinh Thanh Binh and Nguyen Cong Phuong.

Notably, HAGL did not have any representative receiving individual awards – a fact that reflects the decline in form and instability of the mountain town team this season, despite still possessing many notable young talents.

Connecting culture and traditional values

Speaking at the award ceremony, Mr. Tran Anh Tu - Vice President of Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), Chairman of VPF Company - emphasized: "Each season ends with a journey of effort, passion and dedication. The 2024/25 season is even more special because it marks 25 years of formation and development of Vietnamese professional football. A journey marking the maturity and strong adaptability of the country's football".

According to Mr. Tran Anh Tu, Vietnamese professional football has been transforming comprehensively: from organizing tournaments, developing expertise, to enhancing the experience for fans, attracting partners and spreading cultural values. Last season, the quality of expertise was significantly improved, the clubs operated methodically, the players played disciplined and the spirit of dedication spread in every match.

This year’s award ceremony was organized by VPF in collaboration with FPT Play Television, broadcast live on mainstream media platforms, contributing to bringing football closer to the public. The event, themed “Connecting culture and traditional values”, both honored those who made the season possible and evoked the spirit of innovation and responsibility to the community.

Closing the 2024/25 V.League, Vietnamese football has entered a new page with great confidence and expectations. The faces honored today are not only symbols of effort and excellence, but also a driving force for the entire football industry to move towards a more sustainable and professional future.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/ton-vinh-nhung-ngoi-sao-va-hanh-trinh-25-nam-chuyen-nghiep-hoa-bong-da-viet-nam-148207.html