Czech-Vietnamese goalkeeper Filip Nguyen buys first car after 2 years in Vietnam

Filip shared a video of him receiving his new vehicle at a showroom in Hanoi on Thursday.

A screenshot from a video shared by Filip Nguyen (L) shows him receiving his new car at a showroom in Hanoi.

The national team goalkeeper did not opt for luxury gasoline cars popular among Vietnamese footballers, such as Mercedes or Porsche, but instead chose a Vietnamese-brand electric vehicle. His new car is a modern SUV model with an on-road price of around VND1 billion (US$39,130).

This is the first car Filip has bought since coming to Vietnam in June 2023 to join Cong An Ha Noi FC. The naturalized goalkeeper has mainly relied on his club's transportation, used taxis, or borrowed cars from relatives.

The car purchase came several months after Filip’s family welcomed a new member as his wife Aneta gave birth to their daughter, Mia, in October 2024. The couple also has a son born in 2020.

In his debut season in Vietnam, Filip helped Cong An Ha Noi win the 2023 V-League. At the beginning of 2024, he made his debut for the Vietnam national team at the Asian Cup. During the 2024 ASEAN Cup, he started in two group-stage matches before being benched for goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu.

Born in 1992 in the Czech Republic to a Czech mother and a Vietnamese father, Filip began his professional career at Sparta Prague before playing for clubs such as Bydzov, Vlasim, Slovan Liberec and Slovacko. He was named the Czech First League’s best goalkeeper for the 2018-2019 season.

Filip and Cong An Ha Noi are currently not in contention for the V-League title this season. The club has only secured 20 points after 14 matches, trailing league leaders Nam Dinh FC by seven points.

In match week 15 of the V-League, Cong An Ha Noi will face Song Lam Nghe An away on Saturday. However, Filip will be watching from the stands after accumulating three yellow cards, marking the first time he has had to sit out a V-League game due to suspension.