The Ho Chi Minh City Police Football Club has changed its core squad structure.

Following a triumphant 2025/26 campaign with a National Cup victory and a fifth-place finish in the V-League, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Football Club opted for change over caution. The club parted ways with almost the entire previous squad foundation to initiate its most significant restructuring since re-entering the professional arena.

The clubHo Chi Minh City Policehas shown it still has greater ambitions for the 2026/27 season. The leadership decided to carry out a large-scale "blood transfusion," with around 15 players saying goodbye. This number is enough to surprise any fan, even though last season's performance was not poor.

The 2026/27 season will be the first time the Ho Chi Minh City Police Football Club simultaneously competes in the V-League, the National Cup, and the Southeast Asian Club Championship.

Three tournaments with a dense schedule require a squad that is not only strong but also deep, with sufficient quality to rotate throughout the season.

For this reason, keeping the old squad would mean accepting limitations. Changing it, however, is an opportunity to elevate the team. Departures such as Dinh Thanh Binh, Dang Van Lam, and Bui Ngoc Long clearly reflect the criteria of the new coaching staff.

Dinh Thanh Binh was once a striker for the Vietnam national team, but last season was a huge disappointment for the former Ninh Binh forward. Meanwhile, Ngoc Long, who was fast but lacked sharpness and was prone to injuries, was also not retained.

On the other hand, the new signings show that the Ho Chi Minh City Police is focusing on quality over quantity.

Michael Olaha is a name highly anticipated. The former SLNA captain possesses speed, strength, and excellent independent play ability. This striker has proven his class over many seasons in the V-League and is considered one of the most consistent foreign players in recent years.

Alongside Olaha is Phan Van Duc, a national team player hoping to revive his career in a new environment. Although he no longer holds a regular starting role at the 2025/26 V-League champions, Hanoi Police, Van Duc will have plenty of motivation to rediscover his best form after a long period affected by injuries.

When combined with Tien Linh,Lee Williams, and Khoa Ngo, the Ho Chi Minh City Police attack promises to be much richer in speed, technique, and experience.

According to the plan, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Football Club will continue to add at least two quality foreign players for the attack and one defender to strengthen the defense system.

At the back, Vietnam national team goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang remains a top-class stopper, while national team center-back Gia Bao will take on the role of defensive leader. The club is also said to have secured the services of young national team player Nhat Minh to complete the squad before the new season.

Not only changing personnel,the Ho Chi Minh City Policehas also changed its development mindset. The arrival of Australian coach Diles Arthur along with his foreign coaching staff, including Peter Kofinas and Dean Filopoulos, reflects an orientation toward building a more modern, better-organized collective ready to compete with the strongest teams in the region. In recent training sessions, players have been left gasping for breath with a grueling, energy-draining daily schedule.

The Ho Chi Minh City Police Football Club accepts sacrificing short-term stability for long-term value. Coach Arthur has been given the authority to elevate the club, and he is also ready to reinvent himself and the team to pursue higher goals.