Vietnamese star footballer signs for Hanoi club after unsuccessful French run

By Lam Thoa June 23, 2023 | 01:10 am PT

Midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai (C) during the friendly match between Vietnam and Syria in Nam Dinh Province, June 20, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Lam Thoa

Midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai has signed a 1.5-year deal with Hanoi club Cong An Ha Noi (CAHN) and become the highest-paid domestic player in V. League.

Hai joined CAHN as a free agent, after terminating his contract with French club Pau FC. At his new club, Hai will get over VND100 million ($4,250) a month, the highest among Vietnamese players in the league this season.

CAHN head coach Flavio Cruz sees Hai as a talented and experienced player, and his presence will help the club in the title race this season.

In the previous match on June 5, CAHN beat table toppers Thanh Hoa FC 4-1 and shortened the gap with them to one point.

Hai is one of the most prominent footballers in Vietnam, having won four V. League titles, two National Cup and three Super Cup titles.

He is a key player of the national team and has won the SEA Games 2019 gold medal, the 2018 AFF Cup title and advanced to the final qualifiers of the World Cup for the first time in the country's history.

In 2022, Hai wanted a new challenge and decided not to extend the contract with Hanoi FC. He then joined Pau FC on a two-year contract. However, he could not adapt to the environment of the French second-tier and lost his place in the team.

In the 2022-2023 season, Hai played 13 games with a total time of 268 minutes, only 20 minutes per game, and scored one goal. The most recent game he played for the first team was on February 18. After that, he played seven games with a total time of 579 minutes for the reserve team Pau B in National 3, the fifth tier.

Hai reached an agreement with Pau FC to terminate his contract one year early before returning to Vietnam, where he started in two friendlies of the national team with Hong Kong and Syria this month. Vietnam won 1-0 in both games.