V-League 2026/27: Which teams face the greatest relegation threat?

Vinh Stadium, an early August afternoon. I stood in the corridor of the dressing room, where SLNA's jerseys had just been hung up for the new season. An old club staff member, who had been with this stadium since the 1990s, quietly pointed to four empty hangers on the rack. "Four have left," he said, without needing to explain. I knew he was talking about Michael Olaha, Carlos Fortes, Ngo Van Luong, and Vuong Van Huy. In football, people often talk about blockbuster signings and record transfers. But between the two whistles, there is a world that the scoreboard cannot measure — and that world begins with empty jerseys on hangers. The context of the 2026/27 season is very different. The V-League has changed its relegation format: the bottom two teams will be directly relegated to the First Division, with no safety-net play-off. This means no safety net, no last-minute escape. Every match, every point becomes a matter of life and death. And even before the season begins, five names have been identified as relegation candidates: SLNA, Bac Ninh, Dong Nai, Thanh Hoa, and HAGL. SLNA is in a difficult rebuilding phase. Coach Van Sy Son does not hide the pressure: "We have a young squad, limited financial resources. The new foreign players need time to adapt." The departure of four key players, including two foreigners, has created a huge gap both professionally and mentally. But I remember what I witnessed at Long An in 2026 — a team that was underestimated but had a strong youth training tradition. SLNA is the same. They have the most famous academy in the Central region, and in football, sometimes youth is an invisible advantage. Fixing a wrong name takes 47 days; keeping a person's trust is forever. For SLNA, keeping the trust of young players is the key. Bac Ninh, a V-League newcomer, is taking a completely different approach. They have spent heavily to bring in 10+ signings, including three Brazilians: Vitao, Brenner, and Marlos. This is a typical strategy for a newly promoted team — buying heavily to avoid immediate relegation. But I have witnessed too many such cases fail. Quantity does not equal quality, and the lack of V-League experience among new foreign players is a major risk. Their coach admitted the squad "lacks experience and composure." This reminds me of a veteran journalist's saying: "Football never owes us a result, it only owes us a story." And Bac Ninh's story could end in two completely different ways. Dong Nai, the second newcomer, relies too heavily on one name: Cong Phuong. The team has "invested heavily" but the dependence on Cong Phuong's form is a tactical weakness that can be exploited. When a team has only one attacking spearhead, opponents will easily figure them out. I have seen this many times in my career — teams that depend on one star often collapse when that star gets injured or loses form. And with Cong Phuong, in his early thirties, the risk of injury is inevitable. Thanh Hoa and HAGL, two teams with rich V-League experience, are facing financial difficulties. HAGL, with its famous youth training model, is used to selling stars to balance the budget. But experience does not automatically help you survive. Complacency can be the most dangerous enemy. I remember the 2026 season, when I followed Long An — a team with rich tradition but in decline. They were relegated, not because of a lack of experience, but because they could not adapt to the new reality. Interestingly, the opening match of the season will be a direct confrontation between SLNA and Bac Ninh at Vinh Stadium. This is the first "six-pointer" of the season — a match that could shape the psychology and tactics of both teams in the relegation battle. The result of this match will immediately create enormous media pressure on the losing team. Five teams, five different stories, but all share a common fear: two direct relegation spots. The emptiest stadium still has a breath, you just have to listen with your heart. And when the season begins, I will listen to that breath from the empty jerseys on hangers, from the worried eyes of coaches, from the sighs in the dressing room. Because in the end, football never owes us a result, it only owes us a story. And the story of the 2026/27 season is just beginning to be written.