Nam Định Football Club (Vietnamese: Câu lạc bộ bóng đá Nam Định), currently known as Thép Xanh Nam Định due to sponsorship reasons, is a Vietnamese professional football club based in Nam Định City that competed in the V.League 1.[1]

Thép Xanh Nam Định
Full nameThép Xanh Nam Định Football Club
Nickname(s)"Dũng-Sỹ Thành Nam"
(The Steelhearts from the Southern Citadel)
"Hào-khí Đông-A"
(The Sacred Spirit of Dong-A)
Short nameTXD
Founded1965; 59 years ago (1965)
GroundThiên Trường Stadium
Capacity30,000
OwnerXuân Thiện Group
ChairmanNguyễn Tân Anh
Head coachVũ Hồng Việt
LeagueV.League 1
2023–24V.League 1, 1st of 14
Websitebongdanamdinh.com
Current season

History

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Before 1997, the club's kit always used home colors black-white which were similar to Juventus.[note 1] It originates from name Namha Youths, so during the 1980-1990s they were called as "Vietnamese Juventus" by sport medias. However, after some changing times due to sponsor replacements, it was fixed as the yellow, then added lime-red.[2]

Hà Nam Ninh won the National Football Champions (V.League) in 1985 with star player Nguyễn Văn Dũng.

Overcome difficulties to survive

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In 2001, Nam Định took second place in the National Championships, losing to Bình Định In 2007, the Nam Định football team changed its name to Đạm Phú Mỹ Nam Định and won its first National Cup under its new name. In 2009 the Nam Định Football team changed its name to Megastar Nam Định and failed in standing on V.League to 1st level tournament 2010.

From 2003 to present, the club currently competes in the V.League with a sponsor of former minister Đinh La Thăng as a businessman, the top flight of Vietnamese football.[3][4][5]

In 2011, the team changed its name back to Mikado Nam Định and was relegated to the second division after only one year.[6][7] In 2012, Mikado Nam Định failed to win promotion to the first division after losing on penalties to the Khánh Hòa youth team in the semi-finals.[8] In 2014, Nam Định won a place in the 2015 First Division after defeating Vĩnh Long 4–0 in the Second Division final at Tam Kỳ Stadium, Quảng Nam.[9][10] In 2016, the team finished third overall and took part in the play-off of the 2016 National First Division but failed to win promotion to the V.League.[11]

The following season, the team won the 2017 First Division championship and won the only place to play in the 2018 V.League.[12][13] In 2019, the team introduced a new sponsor, Nam Ha Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company, and changed its name to Nam Ha Nam Dinh Pharmaceutical Football Club to compete in the V.League 2019.[14] In this season, the team had a 2–2 draw against Hoang Anh Gia Lai.[15] In 2021, the team changed its name back to Nam Định Football Club after the end of the contract with Nam Ha Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company.[16]

However, this was still a period when financial difficulties always threaten the existence of the club. Typically, the times are continuously slow or out of the budget, even have to accept relegation because they cannot find a worthy funding. There are seasons that the team leaders have to pray for help from the fan association.

Top tier league champions

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After many poor seasons and even near relegation, since 2023 under the guidance of head coach Vũ Hồng Việt, Nam Định has continuously been in the top 5 strongest teams in V-League.[17]

On 25 June 2024, Nam Định officially won the 2023–24 V.League 1 title after winning Khanh Hoa 5–1. It its the club first tier league title after 39 years since their last win in 1985.[18] Following the title, the club qualified for the inaugural 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two group stage, making their return to the intercontinental tournament since the 2008 AFC Champions League. On 18 September 2024, Nam Định played against Hong Kong club Lee Man at the Mong Kok Stadium. Rafaelson and Lucas Silva scored a goal to secured a 2–0 win over the Hong Kong club.[19] Nam Định finished in second place in the group stage thus seeing the team advance to the round of 16 facing against Japanese club Sanfreece Hiroshima.

Team names

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The name of club was also changed 10 times due to sponsor replacements :

  • 1965–1978: Thanh niên Nam Hà
  • 1978–1991: Công nghiệp Hà Nam Ninh
  • 1991–1996: Nam Hà
  • 1997–2003: Nam Định
  • 2003–2006: Sông Đà Nam Định
  • 2006–2007: Mikado Nam Định
  • 2007–2008: Đạm Phú Mỹ Nam Định
  • 2006–2007: Mikado Nam Định
  • 2009–2011: Megastar Nam Định
  • 2011–2013: Mikado Nam Định
  • 2013–2019: Nam Định
  • 2019–2020: Dược Nam Hà Nam Định
  • 2021–2022: Nam Định
  • 2023–present: Thép Xanh Nam Định

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

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Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2016–2018 N/A Mikado
2018–2020   VNA Sport[20] Vicostone - Thổi hồn vào đá
Nam Ha Pharma
2020–2023   Kelme[21] Nam Ha Pharma
Xuan Thien Group
2023–present   Mitre Xuan Thien Group

Stadium

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Nam Định City has two sports facilities, Thiên Trường Stadium (formerly Chùa Cuối Stadium) and Trần Quốc Toản Indoor Stadium, which are host to football and volleyball matches. Both sports centers are located on Hùng Vương Street.

At the beginning, the club's home stadium was a dust and sandy training ground of the militia forces where were usually called as Sân Dệt or the "stadium" of the Namdinh Spinning Factory. It was old crisis of the Vietnamese National Army's military academy.

From the end of 1970s, their home stadium was Thiên Trường Stadium.[22] During the Vietnam War, this stadium had become a big, polluted pond with some vegetable fields. Formerly Sân Chùa-Cuối or the "Pagoda at end of the street" Stadium from one uninhibited temple which has got some daoist icons. So it was often named as "a factory weaves wishes" (nhà máy dệt giấc mơ).

Current squad

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As of 9 November 2024[23]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF   VIE Đinh Xuân Khải
3 DF   VIE Dương Thanh Hào
4 DF   BRA Lucas Alves
5 DF   VIE Hoàng Văn Khánh (vice-captain)
6 MF   VIE Phạm Đức Huy
7 DF   VIE Nguyễn Phong Hồng Duy
8 MF   VIE Nguyễn Đình Sơn
9 FW   VIE Nguyễn Văn Toàn
10 MF   BRA Hêndrio
11 MF   VIE Nguyễn Tuấn Anh
12 MF   VIE Hồ Khắc Ngọc
13 DF   VIE Trần Văn Kiên
14 FW   VIE Nguyễn Xuân Son
15 MF   VIE Trần Văn Trung
16 MF   VIE Trần Văn Công
17 DF   VIE Nguyễn Văn Vĩ
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 MF   UGA Joseph Mpande
19 MF   VIE Trần Văn Đạt
22 FW   VIE Hoàng Minh Tuấn
23 GK   VIE Lê Vũ Phong
26 GK   VIE Trần Nguyên Mạnh (captain)
28 MF   VIE Tô Văn Vũ
29 GK   VIE Trần Đức Dũng
30 FW   BRA Lucas Silva
32 DF   VIE Ngô Đức Huy
34 DF   BRA Wálber
71 DF   VIE Trần Quang Thịnh
77 MF   BRA Caio César
82 GK   VIE Trần Liêm Điều
88 MF   VIE Lý Công Hoàng Anh
91 FW   VIE Nguyễn Văn Anh

Unregistered players

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
DF   VIE Đỗ Xuân Tiến
MF   VIE Tạ Xuân Trường
No. Pos. Nation Player
FW   VIE Trần Văn Thành

Out on loan

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
27 FW   VIE Trần Ngọc Sơn (on loan to PVF-CAND until 15 July 2025)

Current coaching staff

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Position Name
Managing director   Nguyễn Quốc Phong
Technical director   Nguyễn Trung Kiên
Head coach   Vũ Hồng Việt
Assistant coach   André Luiz
  Bùi Quang Huy
  Nguyễn Quang Huy
Doctor   Nguyễn Văn Khánh
Physiotherapist   Nguyễn Thành Hưng
Interpreter   Ngô Thành Vinh
Head of media   Nguyễn Quang Đương

Performance in AFC competitions

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2008: Group stage
2024–25: In progress
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
2008 AFC Champions League Group F   Beijing Guoan 1–3 0–3 4th
  Kashima Antlers 0–4 0–6
  Krung Thai Bank 2–2 1–9
2024–25 AFC Champions League Two Group G   Lee Man 3–0 2–0 2nd
  Tampines Rovers 3–2 3–3
  Bangkok United 0–0 2–3
Round of 16   Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Season-by-season record

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Nam Định played against Sông Lam Nghệ An in V.League 1, July 28, 2019.
 
Nam Định played against Quảng Nam in V.League 1, August 17, 2019.
Season Pld Won Draw Lost GF GA GD PTS Final position Notes
1982–83 V-League 14 3 6 5 12 13 −1 12 6th Group stage
1984 V-League 15 8 3 4 27 26 +1 19 3rd Qualify for 2nd stage
1985 V-League 16 11 5 0 24 9 +15 27 Champions
1986 V-League 17 6 4 7 29 28 +1 16 1st (Group stage) Qualify for 2nd stage
1987–88 V-League 16 3 5 8 22 27 −5 10 7th Group stage
1989–1997
1998 V-League 26 10 6 10 32 29 +3 35 8th
1999–2000 V-League 24 9 7 8 23 25 −2 34 6th
2000–01 V-League 18 11 1 6 22 17 +5 34 2nd
2003 V-League 22 10 6 6 22 19 +3 36 3rd
2004 V-League 22 13 5 4 30 23 +7 44 2nd
2005 V-League 22 7 7 8 27 31 +4 28 6th
2006 V-League 24 9 5 10 22 28 −6 32 9th
2007 V-League 26 10 8 8 35 31 +4 38 4th Qualified for 2008 AFC Champions League
2008 V-League 26 9 4 13 24 32 −8 31 11th
2009 V-League 26 8 7 11 31 36 −5 31 12th Promotion/relegation playoffs
2010 V-League 26 3 3 20 19 47 −28 12 14th Relegation to 2011 First League
2011 First League 26 5 12 9 29 41 −12 27 13th Relegation to 2012 Second Division
2012 Second Division
2013 Second Division
2014 Second Division 5 4 1 0 9 1 +8 13 1st Promoted to 2015 V.League 2
2015 V.League 2 14 5 3 6 13 18 −5 18 4th
2016 V.League 2 18 8 8 2 25 14 +11 32 3rd Qualification to Play-off I
2017 V.League 2 12 7 2 3 17 14 +3 23 1st Promoted to 2018 V.League 1
2018 V.League 1 26 5 9 12 33 45 −12 24 13th
2019 V.League 1 26 8 7 11 32 41 −9 31 11th
2020 V.League 1 18 5 3 10 19 30 −11 18 13th
2021 V.League 1 12 6 0 6 23 21 +2 18 4th season cancelled due to Covid-19
2022 V.League 1 24 6 5 13 21 33 −12 23 12th
2023 V.League 1 20 7 8 5 19 19 +0 29 5th
2023–24 V.League 1 26 16 5 5 60 38 +22 52 Champions Qualified for 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two
2024–25 V.League 1 To be determined

Honours

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National competitions

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League
Cup

Other competitions

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  • China-ASEAN Cities Football Invitational Tournament
    • Winners: 2016
    • Runners-up: 2017

See also

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Footnotes

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Notes

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  1. ^ 1982 Vietnamese movie 89th Minute performed at Namdinh City stadium.

References

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  1. ^ "CLB Nam Định từ đây sẽ lên hương?". Bongdaplus-Báo Bóng đá. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Nắng chiếu thành Nam". www.qdnd.vn. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  3. ^ "VCK giải hạng Nhì 2014: Nam Định giành vé lên hạng Nhất". vnleague.com. 17 May 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  4. ^ "Cuộc đua tam mã trụ hạng V.League 2022: CLB Nam Định và "nút thắt" Thiên Trường". danviet.vn. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Bộ đôi 'công thần' của Hải Phòng đến Bình Dương, Nam Định tậu cựu cầu thủ của Viettel". Bongdaplus-Báo Bóng đá. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  6. ^ "'Nam Định lên hạng, bóng đá phía Bắc đang trở lại thời hoàng kim'". thethaovanhoa.vn (in Vietnamese). 15 July 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Nam Định trở lại V-League sau bảy năm vắng bóng". daidoanket.vn (in Vietnamese). 15 July 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Tiểu sử câu lạc bộ Nam Định - CLB bóng đá Dược Nam Hà Nam Định". bongda24h.vn. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  9. ^ "VCK giải hạng Nhì 2014: Nam Định giành vé lên hạng Nhất". Bongdaplus-Báo Bóng đá (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Bóng đá Nam Định – than ôi thời oanh liệt nay còn đâu | Bóng Đá". bongda.com.vn (in Vietnamese). 12 March 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  11. ^ "CLB Nam Định xây chắc ngôi đầu bảng". TUOI TRE ONLINE (in Vietnamese). 27 December 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  12. ^ ""Hồi sinh" bóng đá Nam Định". beta.baonamdinh.vn (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Nam Định thăng hạng V.League". Bongdaplus-Báo Bóng đá (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  14. ^ "CLB Nam Định có nhà tài trợ mới, nhắm tới top 10 V-League 2019". Báo điện tử An ninh Thủ đô (in Vietnamese). 23 February 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  15. ^ "HAGL mất chiến thắng trong phút bù giờ trước CLB Nam Định". Znews.vn (in Vietnamese). 4 August 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  16. ^ "Nam Định không còn gắn tên Dược Nam Hà và "mộng thoát nghèo"". laodong.vn (in Vietnamese). 12 January 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  17. ^ Winning Hanoi breathlessly, coach Vũ Hồng Việt was as happy as a farmer with a good harvest
  18. ^ "Nam Định lần đầu vô địch V-League" (in Vietnamese). VnExpress. 25 June 2024.
  19. ^ Thepxanh-Namdinh faces many advantages if topping their group in the AFC Champions League Two
  20. ^ "NamDinh Football Club – NDFC on Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on 30 April 2022.[user-generated source]
  21. ^ "NamDinh Football Club – NDFC on Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on 30 April 2022.[user-generated source]
  22. ^ "Sân vận động Thiên Trường Nam Định (Sân Chùa Cuối)". tintucnamdinh.vn (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  23. ^ "Thép Xanh Nam Định". vpf.vn.

Further reading

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Bibliography

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  • Nam Định, thế và lực mới trong thế kỷ XXI −2005 p141 "A glance at the inauguration ceremony of Thiên Trường stadium (August 30th 2003)".
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