New season’s fixture set for national professional football leagues in 2020

Accordingly, the national football new season in 2020 will officially start with the National Super Cup match, taking place on February 7 next year, between reigning V.League 1 champions Hanoi FC and runners-up Ho Chi Minh City FC.

It was set that the fixtures for the 2020 season will have two options, based on the achievements of the Vietnam U23 team at the upcoming AFC U23 Championship in Thailand next January, which will also act as an Asian qualification tournament for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In Option 1, if Vietnam U23s win a ticket to Tokyo 2020, the National Cup will open with qualifying matches set on February 9 and are expected to end on October 31, while the top tier V.League 1 is expected to start on February 22 and end on October 24, and the second tier V.League 2 is scheduled to start from February 29 to September 26. The fixtures are expected to give the national teams enough time to prepare for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, as well as Tokyo 2020.

For Option 2, if Vietnam U23 squad do not win the right to participate in Tokyo 2020, the opening matches for the three tournaments will remain the same as Option 1, but the leagues will end sooner, with the National Cup to end on October 3, V.League 1 on September 26 and V.League 2 on August 23, respectively.

The 2020 season brings together 26 professional clubs, with 14 clubs participating in the V.League 1, including five-time champions Hanoi FC, Thanh Hoa, Song Lam Nghe An, Quang Ninh Coal, Hai Phong, Becamex Binh Duong, Saigon , SHB Da Nang, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Quang Nam, last year’s runners-up Ho Chi Minh City FC, Nam Ha Pharmaceutical Nam Dinh, Viettel and rookies Hong Linh Ha Tinh.

Meanwhile, 12 others compete in the second tier V.League 2, including Khanh Hoa BVN, Dong Thap, Dak Lak, Long An, Fico Tay Ninh, Hue Football, Binh Phuoc, Binh Dinh, XSKT Can Tho, An Giang, Pho Hien and rookies Ba Ria - Vung Tau.

The National Cup witnesses 26 teams vying for the prestigious championship trophy and a ticket to the 2021 AFC Cup.

With the increase in the number of foreign players each club can register and use on the field from two to three players, along with one Vietnamese player of foreign origin, the quality of the leagues’ are expected to improve and attract more fans.

In the 2020 season, the Organising Committee will broadcast live 100% of matches in V.League 1 and the National Cup, while about 80% of V.League 2’s fixtures will be broadcast live.