Thanh Hóa FC has turned to the public for money. On 27 October the Thanh Hóa Football Development Joint Stock Company, which runs the club, published a QR code and asked local people and businesses to donate towards the team's running costs, because its sponsorship funding is in serious difficulty, Thanh Niên reported.
The appeal
The club first thanked the supporters, companies, organisations and individuals who have stood by the team, then invited them to scan the code to support and give fresh strength to Thanh Hóa FC. Every contribution, large or small, is a valuable encouragement and helps build a team of the community and for the community, the club said. It promised that all money received will be recorded, managed, reported publicly and transparently, and used only for the team's activities and development. Thanh Niên's report gives no fundraising target or deadline.
Background: funded for one season
The appeal is the latest step in a run of events around the club's finances, as set out by Thanh Niên:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 18 August | Thanh Hóa Football Development JSC formally takes over the club and the Thanh Hóa youth football training centre, as they stood, from Đông Á Thanh Hóa Football Co. Ltd |
| 8 October | Vice Chairman Đầu Thanh Tùng of the provincial People's Committee and other agencies hear a report on the team from the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism |
| 27 October | The club publishes a QR code and asks residents and businesses for donations |
At the 8 October meeting, the department said the club's facilities and finances were under strain. The floodlights at the provincial stadium do not meet professional standards or AFC licensing criteria, money to run a professional team is tight, and the club has not landed a major sponsorship deal.
Tùng said the team had survived this far thanks to a big effort by the culture sector and local businesses. But with its current finances, facilities and conditions, it only meets immediate needs for the 2026-27 season and cannot be sustained beyond that, he said, so a stable, sustainable model for football in the province has to be built.
What it means for the club and its fans
For Thanh Hóa supporters, backing the team now goes beyond turning up at the stadium: the club is asking them to contribute money directly. For the club, the problem is not only sponsorship but also infrastructure, since the stadium lights fall short of AFC licensing criteria. Its pledge to account publicly for every donation is something donors will be able to hold it to.
What comes next
Tùng asked the department to take the lead and work with other agencies and the club to remove the obstacles, without passing the problem around or waiting for new trouble before acting. In the short term, the authorities must finalise how the club uses the provincial stadium, propose an upgrade of the lighting and match facilities, and spell out the club's governance model, funding sources, youth training and plans to raise money from private and community backers. More on Thanh Hóa and other domestic clubs is under Vietnam football news.