Local football clubs have divided themselves into two opposing sides regarding a recent request by the General Department of Sports and Physical Training that the Vietnam Football Federation consider limiting the number of international players in order to help the clubs save costs. It has been revealed that the department aims to restrict the number of international players a club is allowed to use to only three in the 2013 season of the top-tier V-League. The proposal will be open to feedback at a conference to prepare for the new season scheduled to be held on November 3, according to the Vietnam Professional Football, the league’s organizer. But insiders have produced immediate objections. “The clubs will have to compensate for the contracts they have already signed with the players ahead of the new season,” said a chief official of Hoang Anh Gia Lai. HAGL has inked contracts with four players and the restriction would mean they have to lose a huge sum to compensate one or two players for canceling their contract, the club representative said. “In fact, reducing the number of foreign players does not help save much cost,” he said. Sharing HAGL’s view, chairman of Vissai Ninh Binh, Hoang Manh Truong, said it’s not a big deal for clubs to hire international players, but what matters is that clubs still need them to attract spectators to the stadiums. “On the other hand, VFF should develop a specific roadmap for the restriction, as we are bored of having to follow its constantly-changing policies,” he added.Supporting feedback Among the supporters of the proposal is Nguyen Hong Thanh, general director of Song Lam Nghe An, who said the absence of foreign players will create a chance for local players, which will benefit the national squad in a longer term. “I support the idea of reducing the number of foreign players, and a league without international footballers is even better,” he said. Meanwhile, coaches Hoang Anh Tuan of Khatoco Khanh Hoa, and Lai Hong Van of Kienlongbank Kien Giang both agreed that limiting the number of foreign players to three is reasonable. “It will help save expenses if each club only has three international players,” said Van.