Denilson´s Vietnam stint over, say reports

Former Brazil international Denilson’s tumultuous football career in Vietnam has come to an end in less than a month and after just half a game, according to reports.

V-League side Hai Phong Cement announced in early June that it had signed the star, once the world’s most expensive player and a World Cup winner, calling him the most famous international ever to play for a Vietnamese team.

But local news said that Denilson, reportedly the country’s most highly paid player, was to fly home to Brazil with his agent and a personal doctor, blaming a leg injury.

Club officials could not be immediately reached by AFP for comment.

“Denilson said his leg injury has not fully recovered so he did not feel at ease continuing to play in Vietnam,” Hai Phong coach Vuong Tien Dung was quoted as saying by the website of the state-run Sports and Culture newspaper.

“Denilson said this was beyond his expectation,” the coach reportedly said. “He asked to terminate the contract.”

Thirty thousand supporters packed the Hai Phong stadium earlier this month hoping Denilson would play in the first match after his signing. Instead, he sat in the stands while his team lost, stoking fans’ fury and leading some to burn stadium seats.

He then reportedly announced that he had an unspecified injury and sat out one more match, which the club also lost.

However, he played his first match on Sunday and scored in the first minute from a free-kick before setting up a second goal and, although he helped the team to victory, he came off after the first half.

“Everybody saw Denilson had difficulties in his movement. If we pressed him to play, his career will be influenced,” the sports newspaper quoted coach Dung as saying.

VNExpress news website said the club paid Denilson, 10,000 dollars as half a month’s salary, as well as 15,000 dollars for his playing time on Sunday.

The star, a member of Brazil’s 2002 World Cup winning squad, became the most expensive player in the world in 1998 when he signed for Spain’s Real Betis for 32 million dollars.