V-League football club Saigon Xuan Thanh will be offered as a gift to Ho Chi Minh City authorities and fans, club chairman Nguyen Duc Thuy said on Thursday.

The boss said he submitted a document regarding the handover to the city’s authorities on the same day.

“The offer means that I commit to not transfer Saigon Xuan Thanh to any other locality but HCMC,” he explained.

The decision was made following recent rumors that Thuy would stop investing in the city’s football club and bring it to another province or city, he added.

Thuy said he wants to stay with the city and contribute to sustainably developing Saigon Xuan Thanh into a club that really represents the city’s football.

In the 2012 season, Saigon Xuan Thanh won the National Cup, and finished third at the top-flight V-League.

In related football news, Dong Tam Long An players have recently complained that they have yet to receive their cash bonuses four months after winning the championship of the First Division, as Long An authorities and the club boss had previously promised.

An official in the club’s management panel confirmed with Tuoi Tre that they are indebted to the players.

“The province promised to reward VND1 billion, but has so far disbursed only VND300 million,” the official said.

The club is waiting for disbursement from its sponsors to be able to fully repay the players, he added.

“I call for sharing from the players, and the club is hoping to provide full payment within this month,” he promised.

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