Derby County bids farewell to coach Popov.

The final round of the LPBank V-League 2025-2026 will witness a thrilling Hanoi derby between The Cong Viettel and Hanoi Police FC.

The match will take place at Hang Day Stadium at 6 PM on June 7th (FPT Play).

Viettel FC only needs one more point to officially secure the runner-up position in the V-League 2025-2026 and a ticket to participate in the AFC Champions League Two next season. However, that task is not easy, as their opponent is the newly crowned champion, Hanoi Police FC - a team very confident after securing the league title early.

Bui Tien Dung's The Cong Viettel club (left) faces a tough challenge in the final round of the V-League 2025-2026 (Photo: VPF)

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The worrying thing for The Cong Viettel is their recent slump in form. In two consecutive rounds, the military team drew against weaker opponents, with PVF-CAND and Ho Chi Minh City Police drawing 1-1 each. These results mean The Cong Viettel cannot secure second place in the league standings and are one of the reasons why coach Velizar Popov, feeling insulted, decided to leave the V-League after the season ends.

The 50-year-old Bulgarian strategist is very strong-willed. Since arriving in Vietnam, this coach has repeatedly clashed with the V-League organizers and referees. He has repeatedly used inappropriate language, openly criticized the referees' work in the media, and received a coaching ban. After two consecutive draws, Coach Popov claimed his team was blatantly "robbed of points" and threatened never to return to the V-League.

Therefore, it is highly likely that the Hanoi derby will be Coach Popov's last time coaching in the V-League. Leading Ninh Binh FC by 3 points after 25 rounds, The Cong Viettel currently holds the power to decide their own fate regarding the runner-up position, but to achieve that, Coach Popov's team will have to give their all against the strong squad of the home team, Hanoi Police FC.

The worst-case scenario for the military team is that they lose the match while Ninh Binh wins against Ha Tinh. In that case, both teams would have 51 points, but Ninh Binh would finish as runners-up due to a better goal difference. The two teams drew 1-1 in their two previous encounters, while Ninh Binh has a better goal difference than The Cong.

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Meanwhile, Hanoi Police FC wants to conclude the season with a convincing performance at home to show appreciation to their fans and build positive momentum for the new season. Furthermore, Coach Polking's team is aiming for a victory to equal the record for the most wins and break the record for the highest total points in V-League history, a record previously set by Hanoi FC in 2018 (21 wins).

Source: https://nld.com.vn/derby-thu-do-chia-tay-hlv-popov-196260605225425375.htm