Bulgarian newspaper reacts when overseas Vietnamese star decides to wear Vietnam national team shirt

(Dan Tri) - Bulgarian press expressed regret when Vietnamese-American player Chung Nguyen Do (Vietnamese name Tran Thanh Trung) decided to leave Bulgarian football to play for the Vietnamese national team.

Chung Nguyen Do is a bright young talent of Bulgarian football. Last season, this midfielder played 31/34 matches for the country's top team, Slavia Sofia. That helped the midfielder born in 2005 to be in the top 3 list of the best young talents of the tournament.

Chung Nguyen Do in Slavia Sofia shirt (Photo: Slavia Sofia).

In the past, the midfielder born in 2005 played for Bulgaria U17, U19 and U21. In 2025, he played 5 matches for the Bulgaria U21 team. Many people even think that Chung Nguyen Do is planned to play for the Bulgaria national team in the future when he regularly plays and shines for Slavia Sofia Club. Last season, he played 31/34 matches for this club and scored 2 goals.

However, the 20-year-old star refused the opportunity to wear the Bulgarian national team shirt when he returned to Vietnam to play for Ninh Binh Club. This is the opportunity for Vietnamese football to own one of the most promising young players in the Bulgarian league.

That made the Bulgarian press extremely regretful. Dsport newspaper commented: “Former Slavia Sofia player Chung Nguyen Do said goodbye to Bulgarian football after a short time playing football in Vietnam.

Chung Nguyen Do has represented Bulgaria at youth levels but the player has been licensed by FIFA to represent the Vietnam national team.

Recently, Chung Nguyen Do decided to play for Ninh Binh Club. Perhaps, that influenced this player to choose the Vietnamese team instead of Bulgaria.

Chung Nguyen Do is a potential young talent of Bulgarian football (Photo: Slavia Sofia).

On his personal page, Chung Nguyen Do said goodbye to Bulgarian football to focus on dedicating himself to Vietnamese football. The defensive midfielder said: “I will close a book full of successes, friends and unforgettable moments. I feel honored to contribute to Bulgarian football. Thank you for the support, thank you for the memories and thank you for everything.”

Along with this status, Chung Nguyen Do posted a photo of himself wearing the Bulgarian youth team jersey. Last month, FIFA confirmed that this Vietnamese-American player had successfully transferred from Bulgaria to Vietnam. In the past, Chung Nguyen Do had never played for the Bulgarian national team, so he was eligible to play for Vietnamese teams.

Recently, Chung Nguyen Do was called up by coach Kim Sang Sik to the Vietnam U23 team to prepare for the U23 Asian qualifiers. This is a good test for Chung Nguyen Do, when he officially steps onto the Vietnamese football stage. With his class, the 20-year-old player is expected to control the play and "clean up" the midfield of the Vietnam U23 team.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/bao-bulgaria-phan-ung-khi-sao-viet-kieu-quyet-dinh-khoac-ao-tuyen-viet-nam-20250826201058672.htm