Vietnamese players put talent to the test as “VFF & Bundesliga Youth Incubator Project Presented by Next Media” launched

U17 Vietnam starts the training camp in Germany

As part of the five-week programme the young players, born between 2005-06, are spending time with the youth departments at Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt, 1. FC Köln and Borussia Mönchengladbach. The four Bundesliga clubs have worked together on a joint training syllabus, where each club will focus on one key phase of match play, such as the high-press and positioning when switching from attacking to defending. The project will not only focus on player development, but clubs will also share knowledge and youth development insights with the attending VFF coaches.

The entire team will also have the opportunity to watch Bundesliga matches live, experience the unrivalled atmosphere from these storied clubs, and learn from Bundesliga Legends, all of whom made their name in the Bundesliga.

Following the team’s trip, some of the best players will be chosen by Bundesliga clubs to remain in Germany, extending their programme for a further week with additional in-depth training. The team and players’ journey will be followed by Next Media and leading national broadcaster VTVcab, who plan to capture every moment in an 11-episode series, localised and broadcast in Vietnam.

The project was launched by Bundesliga International, a subsidiary of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga, alongside the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and Next Media, the exclusive media partner in Vietnam. As well as the collaboration in providing Vietnamese football fans with the best of German football, the partnership goes beyond the TV screen and centres around the advancement and promotion of football in Vietnam, both at grassroots and at the professional level.

On Wednesday, the DFL signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Vietnam VFF and the Vietnam Professional Football League (VPF), pledging to support the growth of football throughout Vietnam. The MoU focuses on three main areas of collaboration: improving technical and sporting expertise, advancing league and club structures, as well as developing the football fan basis and culture in Vietnam.

Bundesliga International CEO Robert Klein said: “The future of Vietnamese football is bright, and the results speak for themselves. From the women’s team qualifying for their first ever World Cup in 2023, to the men’s team who also made history this year by reaching the final qualification stages for the FIFA 2022 World Cup.

“Over the next five weeks, the Youth Incubator Project will provide Vietnam’s young players with a truly unique opportunity to learn and develop from some of the best coaches in the world, with world class training and education facilities. We hope this will just be the start of the journey for these players, and they will help propel Vietnamese football to the next level in the coming years. But more than that, we are proud to partner with Next Media and the VFF, to help create a foundation for long-term and sustained success in Vietnam.”

VFF General Secretary Mr Le Hoai Anh said: “Recently, youth training has been one of the top priorities for the VFF. The current U17 players will be the next generation for U23/Olympic teams, as well as the future senior national team. The VFF believes this programme will be a great opportunity for players to experience the quality of football in Germany, participating in high-quality training and competitive fixtures, and therefore gaining invaluable experience not only for their football career and raising the bar for the standard of Vietnamese football.”

Next Media General Director Nguyen Trung Kien said: “Since signing with the Bundesliga, Next Media has developed a long-term strategy, together with the VFF and the DFL, to work together and raise the level of Vietnamese football. To accomplish this, we always focus on youth development, which is why creating this world-class training trip for the national U17 team in Germany was so important.

Next Media wishes to contribute a part to the overall development strategy of Vietnamese football, so we always make efforts to exchange and cooperate with the Bundesliga, VFF and VPF to organise seminars around important factors, such as training methods, youth football, men’s and women’s teams. In addition, there will be periodic training courses, not only for players but for coaches, experts, and managers. Next Media hopes that Vietnam will qualify for the World Cup 2026, and latest for the World Cup 2030. With the extensive cooperation with the Bundesliga, I belive we have a chance to achieve that. In particular, we hope to generate even more love for football, with the support from clubs, social organisations, the media, and fans across the country. Our clear goal is to find a Vietnamese player to play for the Bundesliga soon!”