A rare and unprecedented scenario has emerged in Vietnamese football.

Following the playoff defeat to Bac Ninh, PVF-CAND dropped to the First Division, leading to a potential situation where PVF-CAND Youth must exit the tournament due to regulations forbidding both teams from playing in the same tier.

PVF-CAND ended the 2025/26 season in a bitter fashion, suffering a defeat against Bac Ninh. In the playoff match for a V.League spot. This result forced coach Tran Tien Dai's team to return to the First Division after just one season in Vietnam's top flight. However, the consequences of PVF-CAND's relegation go beyond just the first team.

Right after the playoff match ended, a major question arose concerning PVF-CAND Youth. This team had just completed a rather successful season in the First Division, finishing 6th with 32 points after 22 rounds. Nevertheless, their future has become uncertain due to regulations regarding club ownership and management.

According to current regulations, two clubs under the same parent organization are not allowed to compete in the same division. Therefore, when PVF-CAND was relegated to the First Division, in theory PVF-CAND Youth would be unable to continue participating in this league next season. This is a completely possible scenario, even though the youth team did not get relegated due to poor performance.

Notably, PVF-CAND Youth has long been regarded as the reserve team for PVF-CAND. Many young players are trained there to gain experience before being ready to step up to the first team. Last season, this team was even promoted to the First Division to take over the very slot that PVF-CAND left behind when it moved up to the V.League after personnel changes in the league.

For both teams to coexist in the First Division next season, the most feasible solution is to separate PVF-CAND Youth into an independent legal entity. In that case, the youth team would need to have its own management, administration and operational structure, no longer directly linked to the parent organization of PVF-CAND. Only by fulfilling these conditions can the two teams both appear in the same league.

While awaiting the final decision from football governing bodies, PVF-CAND Youth is becoming the entity most affected by the first team's failure. A loss on penalties not only forced PVF-CAND out of the V.League, but could also lead to significant changes in the club's youth training and development system for the 2026/27 season.