Thep Xanh Nam Dinh F.C.

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Thép Xanh Nam Định

Full name	Thép Xanh Nam Định Football Club
Nickname(s)	"Dũng-Sỹ Thành Nam" (The Steelhearts from the Southern Citadel) "Hào-khí Đông-A" (The Sacred Spirit of Dong-A)
Short name	TXD
Founded	1965; 59 years ago (1965)
Ground	Thiên Trường Stadium
Capacity	30,000
Owner	Xuân-Thiện Group
Chairman	Nguyễn Tân Anh
Head coach	Vũ Hồng Việt
League	V.League 1
2023–24	V.League 1, 1st of 14
Website	bongdanamdinh.com
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

Nam Định Football Club (Vietnamese: Câu lạc bộ bóng đá Nam Định), currently known as Thép Xanh Nam Định due to sponsorship reasons, is a Vietnamese professional football club based in Nam Định City that competed in the V.League 1.^[1]

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.

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.

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 Khanh Hoa 5–1. 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]

The name of club was also changed 10 times due to sponsor replacements :

Period	Kit manufacturer	Shirt sponsor
2016–2018	N/A	Mikado
2018–2020	VNA Sport[20]	Vicostone - Thổi hồn vào đá Nam Ha Pharma
2020–2023	Kelme[21]	Nam Ha Pharma Xuan Thien Group
2023–present	Mitre	Xuan Thien Group

Nam Định City 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 Namdinh 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.^[22] 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).

As of 9 November 2024^[23]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 2 DF  VIE Đinh Xuân Khải 3 DF  VIE Dương Thanh Hào 4 DF  BRA Lucas Alves 5 DF  VIE Hoàng Văn Khánh (vice-captain) 6 MF  VIE Phạm Đức Huy 7 DF  VIE Nguyễn Phong Hồng Duy 8 MF  VIE Nguyễn Đình Sơn 9 FW  VIE Nguyễn Văn Toàn 10 MF  BRA Hêndrio 11 MF  VIE Nguyễn Tuấn Anh 12 MF  VIE Hồ Khắc Ngọc 13 DF  VIE Trần Văn Kiên 14 FW  VIE Nguyễn Xuân Son 15 MF  VIE Trần Văn Trung 16 MF  VIE Trần Văn Công 17 DF  VIE Nguyễn Văn Vĩ

No. Pos. Nation Player 18 MF  UGA Joseph Mpande 19 MF  VIE Trần Văn Đạt 22 FW  VIE Hoàng Minh Tuấn 23 GK  VIE Lê Vũ Phong 26 GK  VIE Trần Nguyên Mạnh (captain) 28 MF  VIE Tô Văn Vũ 29 GK  VIE Trần Đức Dũng 30 FW  BRA Lucas Silva 32 DF  VIE Ngô Đức Huy 34 DF  BRA Wálber 71 DF  VIE Trần Quang Thịnh 77 MF  BRA Caio César 82 GK  VIE Trần Liêm Điều 88 MF  VIE Lý Công Hoàng Anh 91 FW  VIE Nguyễn Văn Anh

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF  VIE Đỗ Xuân Tiến — MF  VIE Tạ Xuân Trường

No. Pos. Nation Player — FW  VIE Trần Văn Thành

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 27 FW  VIE Trần Ngọc Sơn (on loan to PVF-CAND until 15 July 2025)

Position	Name
Managing director	Nguyễn Quốc Phong
Technical director	Nguyễn Trung Kiên
Head coach	Vũ Hồng Việt
Assistant coach	André Luiz Bùi Quang Huy Nguyễn Quang Huy
Doctor	Nguyễn Văn Khánh
Physiotherapist	Nguyễn Thành Hưng
Interpreter	Ngô Thành Vinh
Head of media	Nguyễn Quang Đương

• AFC Champions League Elite: 1 appearance

2008: Group stage

• AFC Champions League Two: 1 appearance

2024–25: In progress

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
2008	AFC Champions League	Group F	Beijing Guoan	1–3	0–3	4th
			Kashima Antlers	0–4	0–6
			Krung Thai Bank	2–2	1–9
2024–25	AFC Champions League Two	Group G	Lee Man	3–0	2–0	2nd
			Tampines Rovers	3–2	3–3
			Bangkok United	0–0	2–3
		Round of 16	Sanfrecce Hiroshima

• China-ASEAN Cities Football Invitational Tournament
  • Winners: 2016
  • Runners-up: 2017

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Namdinh FC.

• Bamboo Airways Thái Bình (amateur)
• Phong Phú Hà Nam W (female)
• Phù Đổng Ninh Bình (male)
• Vissai Ninh Bình (dissolved)

• Nam Định, thế và lực mới trong thế kỷ XXI −2005 p141 "A glance at the inauguration ceremony of Thiên Trường stadium (August 30th 2003)".

• Phút 89 at IMDb and YouTube
• Namdinh Football Live Scores & Results
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• Nam Dinh recruited soccers from Hanoi
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• Hồng Duy breaks-up HAGL to join in NDFC
• Nguyễn Phong Hồng Duy brought money to sign the contract and asked his parents to keep it so he could get married
• Coach Vũ Hồng Việt: The match between Nam Dinh and Hanoi was so excellent
• Namdinh won the first leg: Worthy of being a strong championship candidate
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