Bundesliga Dream Vietnam 2.0 boosts junior Asian Cup hopes of U17 Vietnamese national women’s team

Vietnam’s hopes of qualifying for the junior women’s Asian Cup have been given a boost after the national Under-17 team trained and played in in Germany as part of their preparations under the Bundesliga Dream Vietnam 2.0 project.

In cooperation with the VFF Vietnam Football Federation, the squad had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hone their skills at the training facilities of Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen in preparation for the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers in October.

The two-week training camp, split between Bremen and Dortmund which wrapped up last weekend, also gave the young squad the chance to experience the electric atmosphere of a live Bundesliga game first-hand when Werder Bremen hosted SC Freiburg.

The Vietnam squad picked up tips when they met Bremen’s new signing Yukinari Sugawara and club legend Ailton, who was a surprise guest on a tour of the stadium. The Vietnamese team also met with former Germany and BVB player Kevin Großkreutz during the Dortmund leg of the trip. A camera crew from Viettel – the Bundesliga’s broadcast partner in Vietnam – accompanied the U17 squad in Germany.

The visiting Under-17 women’s team from Vietnam, joined by SV Werder Bremen new signing Yuki Sugawara from Japan (Credit: SV Werder Bremen)

Earlier this year, the VFF and Bundesliga International renewed their Memorandum of Understanding, signed in 2022, to extend their strategic partnership through to 2028.

The 2.0 project marks a significant step forward in nurturing football talent and expanding strategic cooperation activities under the MOU, which focuses on youth development, as well as offering technical, medical and sports science support for VFF staff.

“The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) highly appreciates its partnership with the Bundesliga. The training camp in Germany can be considered as a clear testament to our shared commitment to youth football development, especially in women’s football,” said Nguyen Van Phu, General Secretary of the Vietnam Football Federation.

“This is a valuable opportunity for our players to experience and approach the top-class training environment, enhance their capabilities and their ambitions to reach the international level.”

Taking part in the Bundesliga Dream project is part of the VFF strategy aimed at the long-term objective to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2031.

Bundesliga Dream Vietnam 2.0 is the latest edition of a scheme which provides youth footballers with a pathway to play top-level football in Germany. The first Bundesliga Dream project started in 2022 with the Vietnam national U-17 men’s team. This is the first time that an edition has included a women’s team, reflecting the Bundesliga’s broader commitment to equality and inclusion in football.

“Bundesliga fan growth is up more than 10% this season, underlining the growing attraction of German football throughout Vietnam”, said Peer Naubert, Chief Executive Officer of Bundesliga International.

“Our commitment to the country goes way beyond the on-field product, and we are excited to see the Bundesliga Dream project expand to the women’s game, which will help grow the game and show that Football As It’s Meant To Be is for everyone.

“Our fingers are firmly crossed for the Vietnamese U17 Women’s National Team for their AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers later this year”.

The Bundesliga Project is also running in South Korea, Thailand, India and China. The German league has long been considered the European home of talent from Asia, with more Asian showcased in Germany’s top-flight in the last 20 years than in the other top four European leagues combined. Bundesliga International has a permanent office in Singapore and Beijing, while five top German clubs have offices in China, more than any other European league.

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About Bundesliga International

Bundesliga International is a full subsidiary of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and responsible for connecting and inspiring football fans around the globe. Its main focus is to drive internationalisation by igniting passion for the Bundesliga with contagious content. Bundesliga International is marketing the audiovisual, sponsorship (partnership) rights, brand and digital licenses through a global network of 80 partners.

About the Bundesliga

The Bundesliga is the premier professional association football league in Germany. Established in 1963, the Bundesliga comprises 18 teams which operate on a system of promotion and relegation with the Bundesliga 2.