1. Remember, when the 2023 V-League season had not yet gone 1/5 of the way, the refereeing work was already in turmoil. In response to the referees' continuous mistakes, Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, Chairman of VFF, signed an official dispatch directing the management work at the Vietnam National Professional Football League, in particular rectifying the refereeing work.

Having to play in Group B to compete for relegation in the 2023 V-League season, coach Vu Tien Thanh ( Ho Chi Minh City) said: "Now the 6 teams in Group B are competing in the bottom group, if there is a problem with the refereeing, it is a great pity". Coach Nguyen Thanh Cong (Hong Linh Ha Tinh) shared: "I am not talking about negativity, I just think that our referee resources are not abundant. Due to the lack of good referees, mistakes are easy to happen. Hong Linh Ha Tinh is playing in Group A to compete for the 2023 V-League championship, but we do not think too far ahead. The team members are determined to play solidly in each match and believe that the referee team will referee well in this sensitive period".

Referee Razlan Joffri (third from right) is no longer a stranger in the V-League. Photo: HOANG QUAN

2. Remember, in the official dispatch directing the operation of the Vietnam National Professional Football Tournament, VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan requested the Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF) and the members participating in the tournament to seriously implement the instructions of the VFF Standing Committee. For the Referee Board, members need to continue to increase their responsibility in contributing to the assignment of referees at matches. Appoint referees with the right capacity and suitable for the nature of the match in accordance with the process approved by the VFF Executive Committee. After each match, it is necessary to seriously draw lessons from the operation of the referee teams, limit the repetition of mistakes that have occurred... For the supervisory and refereeing forces, VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan requested: Referee supervisors must increase their responsibility, supervise, monitor, and support referees in the process of performing their duties at matches. Referees must uphold their sense of responsibility and conduct matches in accordance with the law.

Mr. Dang Thanh Ha, Head of the VFF Referee Board, believes that when the video assistant referee (VAR) technology is applied in the V-League, it will help reduce errors of the referee team: “When there is no VAR, decisions on the field depend entirely on the referee's ability. Meanwhile, the number of Vietnamese referees capable of officiating at high-level matches is still low. Very few Vietnamese referees have the ability to keep up with the development of international refereeing. Due to the lack of referees and talented people, the Referee Board does not have many options in assigning match officiating.”

Previously, when the V-League entered the final rounds, VFF and VPF coordinated to invite foreign referees to officiate, but this season, VFF has invited Malaysian referees to officiate key matches, after the two federations signed a cooperation agreement with each other. In the first match of the second phase of the 2023 V-League, Da Nang will host Becamex Binh Duong at Hoa Xuan Stadium, tonight (July 15). This is an important match, as both teams are in the group facing a very high risk of relegation. Therefore, the tournament organizing committee decided to invite referee Razlan Joffri (Malaysia) to officiate this match. Referee Razlan Joffri officiated the match where Dong A Thanh Hoa won Ho Chi Minh City 5-3, in round 7 of V-League 2023. In the match at Thanh Hoa Stadium, referee Razlan Joffri issued a total of 5 yellow cards to players from both teams, and was considered to have completed his task well.

3. Foreign referees solve many problems, from the psychology of the teams, the sense of security of the fans to the "green-ripe" way of blowing the whistle. When inviting foreign referees to officiate in the V-League, the tournament organizers also have less headaches, the teams also do not have any more complaints. Even when the foreign referee makes a mistake, from the team's management, coaching staff to the players and fans, everyone thinks that it is an unfortunate event, not a "bad whistle".

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NGUYEN THUAN