J.League club FC Tokyo to help set up state-of-the-art football academy in Vietnam

J.League outfit FC Tokyo have teamed up with V.League side Saigon Football Club to build a state-of-the-art football academy in Vietnam.

The setting up of the football academy is part of a long-term cooperation project between Saigon FC and FC Tokyo to develop Vietnamese football and was announced recently

“The first thing we will do is help Saigon FC develop and build a football academy. Second is making an economic and cultural bridge through football. This will be a chance for enterprises of both countries to cooperate,” said Koji Ishii, International Business Director of FC Tokyo (via VnEXpress).

According to sources, FC Tokyo will provide Saigon with expertise in constructing and running the academy and also in scouting budding footballing talents from across the country.

“Japanese football is advanced and similar in the style of play as Vietnamese football, with emphasis on skill, possession and flexible team work. Therefore Vietnamese players will easily adapt and absorb the way they play football,” said Saigon FC president Vu Tien Thanh.

“That’s why we wanted to partner up with Tokyo to improve our players in particular and young Vietnamese players in general,” he added.

FC Tokyo had emerged as the runners-up in the J1 League last season fighting Yokohama F. Marinos for the Japanese top division title. However, they finished the season six points behind champions Yokohama.

Saigon, meanwhile, had finished fifth in the 14-team V.League 1 last season — 17 points behind Vietnamese champions Hanoi FC.