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Thep Xanh Nam Dinh F.C.
Vietnamese association football club From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Nam Định Football Club (Vietnamese: Câu lạc bộ bóng đá Thép Xanh Nam Định), currently known as Thép Xanh Nam Định due to sponsorship reasons, is a Vietnamese professional football club based in Nam Định ward, Ninh Bình. The club is currently the defending champions of the V.League 1, the highest football division of Vietnam.[1]
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History
Summarize
Perspective
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
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.
Back-to-back league champions
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 Khánh Hòa 5–1 in the final league match. 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. However, Nam Định was hammered 7–0 by the J1 League club in the round of 16 thus crashing out from the tournament.
Head coach Vũ Hồng Việt then helms the club to successfully retain their league title thus winning the 2024–25 V.League 1 title thus seeing the team qualified to the 2025–26 AFC Champions League Two and also the regional 2025–26 ASEAN Club Championship. In the ASEAN Club Championship, Nam Định was then drawn in the group of death alongside regional powerhouse with Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta'zim, Thailand club, Bangkok United, Singaporean club Lion City Sailors who went on to become the finalist of the 2025 AFC Champions League Two final and Cambodian club Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng who was the finalist of the 2025 AFC Challenge League final.
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Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors
Former team names
The name of club was also changed 10 times due to sponsorship reasons :
- Nghiệp Hà Nam Ninh (1965–1978)
- Công Nghiệp Hà Nam Ninh (1978–1991)
- Nam Hà (1991–1996)
- Nam Định (1997–2003)
- Sông Đà Nam Định (2003–2006)
- Mikado Nam Định (2006–2007)
- Đạm Phú Mĩ Nam Định (2007–2008)
- Mikado Nam Định (2006–2007)
- Megastar Nam Định (2009–2011)
- Mikado Nam Định (2011–2013)
- Nam Định (2013–2019)
- Dược Nam Hà Nam Định (2019–2020)
- Nam Định (2021–2022)
- Thép Xanh Nam Định (2022–present)[note 2]
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Stadium
Nam Định Ward 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 Nam Định 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.[21] 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).
Players
Current squad
- As of 16 July 2025[22]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Unregistered players
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Coaching staff
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Performance in AFC competitions
- AFC Champions League Elite: 1 appearance
- 2008: Group stage
- AFC Champions League Two: 1 appearance
- 2024–25: Round of 16
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Performance in ASEAN competitions
Season-by-season record
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Honours
National competitions
- League
- V.League 1
- V.League 2
- Winners : 2017
- Second League
- Winners : 2014
- Cups
- Vietnamese Cup
- Vietnamese Super Cup
- Winners : 2024–25
Other competitions
- China-ASEAN Cities Football Invitational Tournament
- Winners : 2016
- Runners-up : 2017
See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nam Định FC.
- Bamboo Airways Thái Bình (amateur)
- Phong Phú Hà Nam W (female)
- Phù Đổng Ninh Bình (male)
- PVF-CAND (male)
- Vissai Ninh Bình (dissolved)
Notes and references
Further reading
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