SHB Đà Nẵng aim to get back on top
SHB Đà Nẵng have signed three new foreign players to strenthen their spine this off-season ahead of their 2019 V. League 1 campaign.
French defender Victor Nirennold trains in jersey of SHB Đà Nẵng
Defender Victor Nirennold of France, midfielder Dominik Schmitt of Germany and Brazilian striker Patrick Bonifacio are set to bolster the squad, alongside naturalised Vietnamese striker Đỗ Merlo, who was born in Argentina as Gaston Merlo.
Midfielder Dominik Schmitt of Germany (left) fights for the ball with Argentine-born Đỗ Merlo in a training match in Đà Nẵng
The central city-based team debuted its 29-member squad in a ceremony yesterday, hoping for a return to championship contention after consecutive ninth place finishes in the last two seasons.
The team has also welcomed the return of coach Lê Huỳnh Đức, who agreed to take the driving seat of SHB Đà Nẵng after former coach Nguyễn Minh Phương was sacked in late 2018.
The team said French defender Victor, who stands at 1.94m, will link up with national U23 team members Âu Văn Hoàn and Phạm Mạnh Hùng, and newly signed Nguyễn Công Nhật from Thừa Thiên-Huế to form a solid defence.
Brazilian striker Patrick Bonifacio smiles as he walks in Hòa Xuân Stadium in Đà Nẵng city. He will play for SHB Đà Nẵng in 2019
Brazilian striker Bonifacio, 25, will likely partner with Merlo up front for the openera against Viettel at home on February 24.
Merlo scored 92 goals between 2008 and 2016 for Đà Nẵng since he started playing for the team, and helped the team win the championship in 2009 and 2012.
He was also honoured with the Best Foreign Footballer Award and was top scorer in the V. League three times, and won the National Cup in 2009 and the Super Cup in 2012.
