France’s Ligue 2 football club Pau FC concluded its two-year contract with Vietnamese playmaker Nguyen Quang Hai before the expected end date as per his wish, his agent announced on Facebook on Monday morning (Vietnam time).

Michele Donato Fersini, who handles the football interests of Quang Hai in France, mentioned that following several weeks of negotiations with Pau FC, he personally approached the French club to request the release of Quang Hai by the end of the current Ligue 2 season.

“On June 1, I had a direct meeting with President Bernard Laporte-Fray, and on June 3, we successfully reached an agreement for Quang Hai’s departure from Pau FC on June 30, 2023, which is one year earlier than stipulated in the contract,” Fersini wrote in Vietnamese in a post on his personal Facebook account. 

“The president of Pau graciously accepted our request, and we express our gratitude to him for his cooperation.

“We extend our gratitude to Pau FC for providing Quang Hai with the chance to come to France and participate in Ligue 2. 

“Our appreciation also goes out to the entire staff, friends, and all those who have supported us throughout this journey. 

“Further information regarding the contract termination will be officially announced through the press in the upcoming days. 

“We sincerely appreciate the ongoing support from everyone.”

Quang Hai joined Pau FC on a two-year contract in June 2022 after bidding farewell to Hanoi FC, where he had spent 16 years building his professional football career, in March of the same year.

Regrettably, Quang Hai did not have chances to showcase his football skills in France. 

Vietnamese midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai (R) poses for a photo with his football agent Michele Donato Fersini. Photo: Michele Donato Fersini’s Facebook

The 26-year-old midfielder played a mere 11 out of Pau FC’s 21 matches in Ligue 2 and the Coupe de France, managing to score just one goal.

From February onwards, Quang Hai has been largely excluded from Pau FC’s plans. 

His last appearance for the first team occurred during the final 10 minutes of a match against Laval on February 18 in Ligue 2, which ended in a 0-1 loss for Pau FC.

Following that, the midfielder went on to participate in seven matches, accumulating a total of 579 minutes of play for Pau FC’s reserve team competing in National 3, which corresponds to the fifth division of French football.

Quang Hai is expected to shift his attention back to the Vietnamese national team as they prepare for two friendly matches against Hong Kong on June 15 and Syria on June 20. 

Notably, this marks the first occasion for Quang Hai to collaborate directly with the new coach, Philippe Troussier, since his appointment in February.

While the mid-season transfer market for the Vietnamese top-tier 2023 V-League 1 is now open, no club has shown interest in acquiring Quang Hai’s services.

In six seasons with Hanoi FC, Quang Hai played 126 matches, scored 35 goals, and won every domestic title and Vietnam Golden Ball in 2018.

The Vietnamese club offered Hai a new contract, but he remained steadfast in his desire to play football abroad.

He is among Vietnam’s current crop of young players widely regarded as a ‘golden generation.’

None of this generation, however, have managed to shine abroad.

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