Hoang Anh Gia Lai F.C.

Hoang Anh Gia Lai Football Club, commonly known as Hoang Anh Gia Lai and simply known as HAGL, is a Vietnamese professional football club based in Pleiku, Gia Lai. Owned by Đoàn Nguyên Đức, a prominent Vietnamese businessman and founder of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group, HAGL play in the top division of Vietnamese football, V.League 1. Their home stadium is Pleiku Stadium. History Early years The forerunner of the club is Gia Lai - Kon Tum football team, founded in 1976. Despite being an amateur team, the team also once won the A2 championship (equivalent to the A2 championship) including South Central and Central Highlands. In 1991, the province Gia Lai - Kon Tum was separated into Gia Lai and Kon Tum; Some players of Gia Lai - Kon Tum team returned to be the core of the new team with the name Gia Lai football team. Hoang Anh Gia Lai era For 10 years, the team was organized with the model of a career unit with an average performance in the First Division and not very well known on the football map of Vietnam. In 2001, the team was transformed into a semi-professional model under the sponsorship of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group. Before the football season V.League 2 2001-2002, the club's chairman Đoàn Nguyên Đức signed a contract with the captain of Thailand national football team at that time, Kiatisuk Senamuang. In the Thai press ran big "headline" "Who is Hoang Anh? Where is Gia Lai" full of ridicule,and the media in Vietnam also have many doubts about the ability to attract a high-class player like Kiatisuk to Gia Lai. However, all rumors ended on February 17, 2002, when Kiatisuk and teammate defender Chukiat Noosarung came to Vietnam to prepare to play for the team.This is considered one of the most successful contracts of Vietnamese football. Kiatisuk helped Hoang Anh Gia Lai's team to be promoted right in that season. At the end of the season, the team was officially transferred to Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group for management, changed its name to Hoang Anh Gia Lai Football Club, becoming one of the first professional football club in Vietnam. The club made a record of winning the 2003 V-League championship after having just been promoted and successfully defended its title the following season. At the same time, the team also won two Vietnamese Super Cup in those years.