More than 2,000 Hai Phong Club fans gathered at Lach Tray Stadium from 7 am June 1 to wait for Brazilian 2002 World Cup winner Denilson de Oliveira Araujo, who came to the stadium for his first training session after signing with the Vietnamese League Club.
The northern club has given its fans a big treat by signing the Brazilian winger and striker, also a 1998 World Cup runner-up who had 61 caps for Brazil with nine goals scored.
The waiting fans all called his name loudly when the club bus arrived at their home stadium after 8 am. Denilson enthusiastically replied with happy smiles.
As he just finished a long-haul flight to Vietnam, coach Vuong Tien Dung let him do some recovery in 20 minutes. The 2002 World Cup star also performed ball control skills with his legs and head for the fans.
He said after his first training session, “It’s very hot here and I may need some days to get familiar with.”
Hai Phong Club is set to announce its latest contract, with Denilson, in the June 2 afternoon. He is to wear number 99.
The 32-year-old player said he would stay in Vietnam for a long time.
Vietnam Television, in its prime time 7pm broadcasting on June 1, said the fact that the former Brazilian star signed with a V-League club was a hotter news story than the fact the national team beat Kuwait 1-0 in a friendly early June 1 (Vietnam time) in the West Asian country.
Denilson has said that he knew nothing about Vietnamese football before his arrival. A friend of his had introduced him to Hai Phong management and he accepted their offer to come to play in the Asian country.
The winger and striker is expected to play in the second half of the V-League season, which resumes June 6 after a two-week break.
He has so far played for seven clubs, Brazil’s Sao Paulo, Spain’s Real Betis, and France’s Bordeaux, having scored 34 goals in all.
