Football revolution at Binh Phuoc Club and Buriram United model

Revolution from root to tip

Coach Anh Duc (right) next to rookie Minh Tam - former captain of Da Nang Club

PHOTO: BINH PHUOC CLUB

In the 2023 season, after struggling to stay in the first division, the appearance of Truong Tuoi Group helped Binh Phuoc Club change dramatically. This team invited coach Nguyen Anh Duc, who had a successful season with Long An Club, to sit in the captain's chair.

Along with that, they also recruited and borrowed many quality players to serve their ambition of being promoted to V-League. However, the former Vietnam national team player and his students have not been able to do that when they only ranked 3rd in the 2023-2024 first division.

By the 2024-2025 season, Binh Phuoc Club will change even more dramatically, and can even be considered a “revolution”. First, the team’s official social networking site will be more polished in terms of content and image building.

Binh Phuoc Stadium has also been renovated and redecorated in many areas, and most importantly, the grass surface will be upgraded to improve the quality of the game. Binh Phuoc Club's squad has also been significantly upgraded.

Thunder Castle Stadium of Buriram United Club

If last season, they borrowed many young talents from V-League teams such as Ha Chau Phi, Nguyen Ngoc My (Thanh Hoa Club) or Nguyen Manh Hung, Doan Huy Hoang, Nguyen Huu Thai Bao (The Cong Viettel Club), now this team has recruited many quality players with rich experience in top-level competition.

We can name Le Thanh Binh (from Thanh Hoa Club), Ho Tuan Tai (HCMC Club), Ho Sy Giap (Binh Duong Club), Hoang Minh Tam (Da Nang Club)... Most notable is the successful recruitment of striker Cong Phuong. This new player not only helps improve the team's strength but also brings a boost in terms of communication, increasing the attraction of Binh Phuoc Club.

To increase the efficiency of the competition, Binh Phuoc Club also invited Japanese experts to work, Mr. Ueno Nobuhiro (fitness and tactics coach) and Matsuki Hitoshi (medical) along with former Vietnam Golden Ball Huynh Quoc Anh as assistant to coach Anh Duc. In terms of orientation and strategy, the people in charge are Mr. Machida Yoshiyuki (operations director) and Mr. Yamamoto Yoshihiro (academy director).

It is clear that Binh Phuoc Club is following a long-term, sustainable development path with former VFF Technical Director Adachi Yusuke as the chief architect in the role of Executive Director. If it goes in the right direction, the value that Binh Phuoc Club creates will reach beyond the football framework, similar to what HAGL in Gia Lai or Buriram United, the number one team in Thailand, have done.

Buriram United Model Story

Binh Phuoc Stadium has been upgraded and renovated, with brand new grass.

PHOTO: BINH PHUOC CLUB

According to a research project titled “Economic Impact Assessment of Sports Tourism in Buriram” by a group of authors from Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) in 2022, Buriram province organizes about 100 sports events each year to promote tourism.

This is the first province in Thailand to consider sports tourism as an important strategy in the process of economic development. Previously, the main income of the people in this province came from agriculture (mainly livestock). Famous landmarks are related to nature, culture, history, not sports.

The turning point came in 2009, when businessman and politician Newin Chidchob took over PEA FC and renamed the club Buriram PEA and then Buriram United. Just two years later, Buriram became the first Thai team to win the treble (Thai League, National Cup, Federation Cup). Now, the northeastern Thai team is considered the number one club in the land of golden temples.

Buriram’s success on the pitch has had a major economic impact. In 2011, they built Thunder Castle, a FIFA-standard stadium that has become a popular tourist destination in Buriram province. After the stadium was opened, the number of tourists visiting the area increased by 15%.

Cong Phuong's joining is a big image boost for Binh Phuoc Club

PHOTO: BINH PHUOC CLUB

Three years later, Mr. Chidchob built an additional FIA – Grade 1 standard racetrack for cars and FIM – Grade A for motorcycles. Thanks to that, Buriram became an extremely attractive destination with a “combo” package including Thunder Castle stadium, racetrack, shopping center and cultural and historical relics.

From 2001 to 2010, Buriram province's tourism economy brought in a total revenue of only 10.5 million USD, but in the period 2011-2018, this figure reached 113.6 million USD, more than 10 times. In particular, Mr. Chidchob directed Buriram United to develop sustainably, focusing on youth training.

In 2018, Buriram United cooperated with Mr. Andrew Ord, the expert who brought "Thai Messi" Chanathip Songkrasin to light. In addition, this team also cooperated with many foreign teams such as Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Leicester City (England), OB (Denmark) or Consadole Sapporo (Japan).

Thanks to that, Buriram United's young players have the opportunity to train in a professional environment, interact with foreign experts, and have many opportunities to go abroad. From a good foundation, "young shoots" such as Suphanat Muenta or Supachok Sarachat gradually became pillars of the Thai team.

Binh Phuoc also has similarities with Buriram in the past, such as not having developed tourism, but having a lot of potential to exploit cultural tourism combined with sports.

Former captain of Ho Chi Minh City Club Sam Ngoc Duc in Binh Phuoc Club shirt

Recently, Mr. Son of Binh Phuoc Club has begun to make his mark when Binh Phuoc organized major sporting events such as the Binh Phuoc Marathon, the 2024 National Women's Volleyball Championship, Binh Phuoc Club's matches in the first division, the 7th Vietnam Former Football Player Festival...

This helps bring the image of Binh Phuoc province closer to a large number of sports fans, similar to what Mr. Duc did with Gia Lai more than 20 years ago.

Now, Binh Phuoc Club is also gradually operating professionally, with a clear direction like what Mr. Chidchob did at Buriram United. The fact that they became the first first-class club to hire a foreign CEO, with a clear direction following the J-League model is a special highlight.

In particular, they have recently cooperated to prepare to launch Truong Tuoi BMG Academy, to take advantage of the facilities and experience in youth football of the old Juventus academy, to make a "home" for the newly recruited U.12 Binh Phuoc generation as the first step in a fundamental, long-term youth football strategy.

Hopefully, Binh Phuoc Club will make great strides to create positive impacts on football in particular and the image of Binh Phuoc province in general, to be able to reap success like the Buriram United model in Thailand, or Mr. Duc at HAGL.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cuoc-cach-mang-bong-da-o-clb-binh-phuoc-va-mo-hinh-buriram-united-185241003180243219.htm