Bac Ninh FC signs a center-back who once won the Copa Libertadores

Reaffirming their ambitious intent, Bac Ninh Club has unveiled the acquisition of Brazilian defender Rafael Santos de Sousa.

Born in 1998 in Guarujá, Brazil, Rafael Santos plays as a left-footed center-back. He developed through Flamengo’s youth academy and represented the historic Brazilian club before moving to Europe to play for APOEL (Cyprus), Moreirense, Santa Clara, and Leixões in Portugal. In the 2025/26 season, he featured for Leixões in Liga Portugal 2 and the Portuguese Cup.

Notably, Rafael Santos was part of the Flamengo squad that won both the Copa Libertadores and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in 2019. Although he was not a regular starter, his time at one of South America’s top clubs is expected to bring experience and composure to Bac Ninh’s defense at the age of 28.

The arrival of Rafael Santos is the latest step in Bac Ninh’s squad reinforcement plan after securing promotion to the V.League. Earlier, the club announced the signing of Brazilian striker Vitor Hugo Rosa Nascimento to bolster their attack, and they are reportedly finalizing their trio of foreign players for the new season.

Alongside the foreign recruits, Bac Ninh maintains the core domestic players who helped the club earn its first-ever V.League promotion. Experienced figures such as Nguyen Hai Huy, Ngan Van Dai, Mai Xuan Quyet, and Nguyen Thanh Khoi are expected to provide stability under head coach Paulo Foiani.

The 2025/26 season ended sweetly for Bac Ninh as they finished as runners-up in the First Division before defeating PVF-CAND on penalties in the playoff to qualify for the V.League for the first time.

That achievement opens a new chapter full of challenges, forcing the club’s leadership to invest heavily in the squad in order to aim for survival and make an immediate impact in their debut season in Vietnam’s top flight.

By continuously adding quality foreign players with international experience, Bac Ninh Club aims to build a team capable of competing with traditional rivals right from the 2026/27 season.