V-League kickoff on Jan 15 with 13 teams

Thirteen teams will compete at the national championship in the 2005-2006 season, after a meeting of the Vietnam Football Federation standing committee on December 9.

After Ho Chi Minh City East Asia Bank dropped to Division 1 due to their involvement in bribery offering for referees, the Vietnam Football Federation decided not to a team from Division 1 to replace Ho Chi Minh City East Asia Bank at the national championship/V-League. The bottom team of the 2005-2006 V-League will be relegated and the 12th placed team will compete in a play-off with the third placed team of Division 1.

The 2005-2006 season kicks off on December 31 with the Super Cup match between Dong Tam Long An and Mitsustar Haiphong in Haiphong and the first round of the national cup opener between Hoa Phat Hanoi and Military Region Five. Other matches of the first round of the national cup kick off on January 1, 2006. The second round kicks off one week later, January 8. The Division 1, with 14 teams, will start the new season on January 14, 2006.

President Nguyen Trong Hy of the Vietnam Football Federation will sign a decision on the establishment of the organising board of the three tournaments next week and fixtures of the V-League will be announced next week.

(Nhan Dan)