Ho Chi Minh City Football Federation (HFF) chairman Le Hung Dung submitted his resignation at the federation’s annual meeting held on  Wednesday.  

Three other people in the federation’s steering committee also asked to resign – General Secretary Duong Vu Lam, Vice Chairman Tran Le Nguyen and member Pham Huynh Tam Lang.

Dung, who is also Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Football Federation (in charge of finances), said, “Vu Lam, Le Nguyen and IÂ are too busy with our own business, while Tam Lang is resigning because he is not physically fit.”

Dung was appointed HFF Chairman in 2008 to replace Tran Van Tao. During his term, there was no major uplift in the city’s football futures. In 2009, Ho Chi Minh City Club (formerly called Saigon Port Southern Steel) was relegated from the country’s top-tier V-League to the second-tier First Division.

The city fans thought the city would have no representatives in V-League last season, but Navibank bought the Fourth Military Zone team, making Navibank Saigon the city’s V-League team.

In the 2010 season, HCM City Club did not play well in the First Division while Navibank Saigon struggled in V-League matches. Dung said he would resign if the two teams were relegated, a fate that the clubs managed to avoid.

However, Dung  asked to resign before the federation’s annual meeting in 2010, but his request was refused.

The 2011 season looked brighter for the city’s football with Navibank Saigon finishing eighth position out of the 12 teams in V-League; and more importantly, winning the National Cup. Also, the Xuan Thanh Club managed to be promoted to V-League by finishing on top of the First Division, while HCMC Club managed to stay in the First Division.

Dung said he would still support and stand side by side with the city’s football and call for help from businesses if needed.

Tran Duy Long, HFF Vice Chairman, was appointed to take charge of the position of the chairman for the remaining part of the 2008-2012 term. Tran Dinh Huan was appointed General Secretary and Tran Anh Tu, Vice Chairman.

The city football federation’s steering committee now consists of 11 people: Tran Duy Long, Tran Dinh Huan, Nguyen Hong Pham, Vo Hoang Buu, Tran Quang Hung, Tran Anh Tu, Nguyen Trong Binh, Nguyen Huu Bai, Ho Nguyen, Tran Tuan Anh and Nguyen Vinh Tho.

By Thanh Nien News, with original Vietnamese story by VnExpress