The dark side of foreign players' lives in Vietnam

Superficial life

Phan Van Santos faced many difficulties after retiring.

Another transfer season is coming up in the V-League and it is expected that there will be many player movements. Besides domestic players, foreign players are also receiving a lot of attention, especially in the context that most domestic teams put their trust in foreign players.

However, not everyone knows the world of foreign players in V-League. Starting from 2002, when Vietnamese football became professional, foreign players appeared. Most of them came from South America, Africa and a few from Europe.

"About 90% of foreign players who come to Vietnam to play football are past their prime and cannot compete in Europe, or if they are young, their professional quality is low. There are only a few truly classy names like Leandro of Hai Phong, Philani of Binh Duong or Hoang Vu Samson of Hanoi in the past," said Mr. Chau.

According to Mr. Chau, foreign players who come to Vietnam to live have two trends: "The group of African players usually choose to live with the team to save costs, they do not pay too much attention to hygiene issues. The group of South American, European or African players who have played football in Europe want to rent their own house because they like cleanliness. The house rental is supported by the club or brokerage company."

Regarding food, Mr. Chau revealed that foreign players take a long time to get used to Vietnamese dishes, quickly 6 months, slowly a whole season. "At first, they can eat according to their own menu and gradually get used to it. There are also some clubs that let players eat freely when they are not with the team to compete."

Alcohol, drugs, prostitution

However, the above information is only the tip of the iceberg in the world of foreign players playing football in Vietnam, the behind-the-scenes part is worth mentioning. Mr. T, a representative with many years of experience, said that the vast majority of foreign players are involved in vices such as gambling, alcoholism, prostitution, and even drugs.

"In 2021, striker Molina (Argentina) of Binh Duong was found dead in a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City due to drug shock. Meanwhile, although he did not get involved in drugs, Phan Le Issac (of Ugandan origin) was famous for his partying during his 10 years playing football in Vietnam.

At that time, he was always a regular customer at nightclubs and bars, partying all night long. This player burned about 30 billion and by 2020 was almost bankrupt because he could no longer play and had to ask his agent to cover all his food and accommodation expenses before returning home," Mr. T informed.

Not only Issac, a series of other names such as: Tran Le Martin (Ugandan origin), Vincent Bousou (French nationality), Nguyen Trung Son (Jeferson, Brazilian origin), Diabate Soulaymance (Malian nationality) also declined due to their loose lifestyle. Martin lost all his fortune due to gambling; Vincent and Diabate were infected with HIV while Jeferson had many extramarital relationships, causing his family to fall apart.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Chau also said that, in addition to drug addiction, many foreign players are heavily addicted to alcohol. A typical example is goalkeeper Phan Van Santos, who was once called up to play for the Vietnamese national team.

"Santos started to indulge in alcohol after Hung Vuong An Giang terminated his contract. Not long after, he had a motorbike accident, had almost no income, sold his house and car to make a living. He beat his wife and then divorced. Santos currently lives in Phu My Hung area and works as a security guard for a building but was recently fired for being drunk," said Mr. Chau.

Successful examples

Marcelo group happy with family.

However, not all foreign players who come to play football in Vietnam are indulgent and have unhealthy lifestyles. A representative of a football team in Hanoi said that many foreign players even have a better sense of training and playing than domestic players and are especially self-disciplined in their daily activities.

Many names, in addition to being professional in training and competing, also strive to have a good and prosperous life. Mr. T still remembers clearly the case of striker Tshamala Kabanga (Congolese nationality), who used to play for Dong Tam Long An and Quang Nam.

Even when he was still playing football, Tshamala was conscious of saving for the future. In addition to his salary and bonuses, this player bought a sugarcane juice cart to do business right in front of the Dong Tam Long An Club headquarters.

In 2014, when he suffered a long-term injury and had to stop playing, he went to learn the trade of refrigeration repair. After retiring, he opened an air conditioner and refrigerator repair shop in Long An, which did quite well. Tshamala also has a cluster of mini soccer fields for rent, bringing in a stable income.

Compared to Tshamala Kabanga, Huynh Kesley (Brazilian origin) is more famous and his life is also more comfortable. Originally an excellent striker, at his peak he had the highest income among foreign players in V-League. More importantly, Kesley knows how to keep himself, almost saying no to entertainment or vices.

Tshamala Kabanga has a stable life in Vietnam.

"Kesley's life is very happy, he and his wife currently own a company specializing in providing sound and lighting services in Ho Chi Minh City," Mr. Chau revealed.

When talking about the standard foreign players, we cannot help but mention Nguyen Van Bakel (Dutch origin) and Doan Marcelo (Brazilian origin). Both of them married Vietnamese women and settled in Vietnam. Bakel is currently a sports broker, representing a number of players. He was also the one who helped Van Hau in his move to the Netherlands to play football more than two years ago while Marcelo opened a restaurant in Da Nang.

But the most successful among the foreign players who have played and are playing in the V-League is Coach Kiatisak. In addition to his talent on the field, he has an exemplary lifestyle, becoming a symbol of HAGL. Thanks to the money he earned playing football in Vietnam, Kiatisak invested in opening a large sports consulting company in his home country of Thailand, and he also set up a fund to support aspiring players in difficult circumstances.

Kiatisak once led the Thai team to win two AFF Cup championships and once reached the final round of World Cup qualifying, but when he returned to Vietnam to sit in the hot seat at Pleiku Stadium, he was still loved by Vietnamese fans.

Ready to cheat, be a "male gigolo"

Former striker Nguyen Hang Tcheuko Minh (36 years old, Vietnamese nationality, of Cameroonian origin) is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence for fraud and property appropriation.

Specifically, Tcheuko and two other African subjects used the trick of giving gifts to many Vietnamese women and then asking them to transfer various fees to appropriate them. The case was tried by the People's Court of Can Tho City in January 2020. While still playing, Tcheuko played for Kien Giang, Dong Thap and Dong Nai.

According to a former V-League player, many foreign players who come to Vietnam to play football are willing to work as "boyfriends" to earn money for entertainment. They can meet people through social networks or stand at certain locations waiting for "customers". Each time they "go out" like that, players can earn several hundred, or even thousands of USD if they meet rich men.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/goc-khuat-cuoc-song-cau-thu-ngoai-o-viet-nam-192230828111116657.htm