From the championship trophy of U17 Hanoi: A sustainable direction for Vietnamese youth football

Hanoi U17 players celebrate with the championship trophy.

At the end of the match, while the Nam Dinh U17 players held their heads in regret for missing the chance to equalize in extra time, on the other side of the battle line, the Hanoi U17 players burst into joy. That joy is a worthy reward for a cohesive, brave, well-trained team, and at the same time, it is proof of the achievements accumulated from a professional, modern youth training system.

At the age of 17, Hanoi players have demonstrated a modern playing style, good tactical thinking and the ability to handle situations confidently in decisive moments.

These factors cannot come from luck, but are the result of a meticulous and serious investment process from the club’s youth training system. After Hung Dung, Quang Hai, Duy Manh or Thanh Chung… Hanoi FC is continuing to show its ability to create quality successors for the national team in the near future.

However, the greatest value of the championship is not in the score, but in the message it conveys: Vietnamese football can only develop sustainably if clubs really care about youth training, instead of waiting for talent to appear randomly or focusing on short-term player purchases.

Hanoi FC is not the only team investing in youth training, but it is one of the very few clubs that is persistent, systematic and has a clear philosophy. The closed training system from U9 to the first team helps the capital team to continuously maintain a stable successor force. Thanks to that, over the past decade, Hanoi has not only been a leading force in the V-League but also an important "supply source" for national team levels.

The success of U17 Hanoi also creates positive pressure on other training centers across the country. Localities with a strong tradition of youth football such as Nghe An, Nam Dinh, Hue, Binh Duong ... will certainly see more clearly the value of long-term investment. Even football teams that are focusing on short-term achievements cannot stay out of this trend if they want to create a foundation for sustainable development.

U17 Nam Dinh also had a very successful tournament.

The case of Nam Dinh is a typical example. After a period of investing heavily in the transfer market to improve their current performance, the team from the South has begun to focus again on youth training. Reaching the final and only losing to a strong U17 Hanoi team is a remarkable achievement for the right steps.

Success at the youth level does not only serve the clubs. When a team like Hanoi FC produces quality players, they not only play an important role at the club level but also contribute positively to the U19, U23 and national teams. The past 10 years have proven that many players who have grown up from the Hanoi training academy have contributed to making Vietnamese football famous in regional and continental competitions.

To build a tall building, you must first lay a solid foundation. Investing in youth training is not a short-term path, and it does not bring immediate profits. But it is a mandatory direction if Vietnamese football wants to truly reach new heights. Only when more and more clubs look in the same direction, together building a systematic and professional youth football ecosystem, can we hope for a long-term and sustainable future.

Hanoi's 2025 National U17 Championship trophy is not only the pride of the capital's football, but also a reminder of a development philosophy: Don't wait for miracles, sow from young "seeds". And when those "seeds" are nurtured with passion, knowledge and vision, Vietnamese football will have the right to hope for golden harvests in the future.

PHAN THACH

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tu-chiec-cup-vo-dich-cua-u17-ha-noi-huong-di-ben-vung-cho-bong-da-tre-viet-nam-post910856.html