V.League runners-up Thanh Hoa will officially replace champions Quang Nam to compete in next year’s AFC Champions League preliminary round, the club official confirmed on Sunday.
“We received the letter from Asian Football Confederation and we feel both happy and worried about it. Representing Vietnam in the continent’s most prestigious club competition is a great honor for Thanh Hoa,” the club president Doan Van Phuong told The Thao and Van Hoa reporter.
“However, we have to face the shortage of time to prepare for the competition as the AFC only announced Thanh Hoa as the replacement for Quang Nam a few days ago, so it would be difficult for us to prepare well.
“But we will make our greatest efforts for the reputation of the team and the image of Vietnam football,” he added.
V.League champions Quang Nam FC are not eligible to qualify for next year’s AFC Champions League as they fail to meet requirements set by the AFC.