1. Remember, even before the 2023 V-League season was one-fifth of the way through, refereeing issues were already causing a stir. Following a series of refereeing errors, Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), signed a directive instructing the management of the Vietnamese National Professional Football League, with a particular focus on improving refereeing.

Having to compete in Group B to avoid relegation in the 2023 V-League season, coach Vu Tien Thanh ( Ho Chi Minh City FC) said: "Now that 6 teams in Group B are competing at the bottom, if there are problems with the refereeing, it would be extremely regrettable." Coach Nguyen Thanh Cong (Hong Linh Ha Tinh) shared: "I'm not talking about corruption, but I think it's because our refereeing resources are not abundant. Because there are few good referees, mistakes are more likely to happen. Hong Linh Ha Tinh is playing in Group A to compete for the 2023 V-League championship, but we're not thinking too far ahead. The team members are determined to play each match carefully and trust that the refereeing team will officiate well during this sensitive period."

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

2. It is worth remembering that in the directive on the management of the Vietnam National Professional Football League, VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan requested the Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF) and participating members to strictly implement the directives of the VFF Standing Committee. Regarding the Referee Committee, members need to continue to strengthen their responsibility in contributing to the assignment of referees to matches. Referees should be appointed based on their competence and suitability to the nature of the match, following the procedures approved by the VFF Executive Committee. After each round of matches, serious lessons should be learned from the referee teams' performance, minimizing the recurrence of past mistakes… Regarding the supervisory force and referees, VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan requested: Referee supervisors should strengthen their responsibility, supervise, monitor, and support referees during the performance of their duties in matches. Referees should uphold a high sense of responsibility and officiate matches according to the rules.

Mr. Dang Thanh Ha, Head of the VFF Referee Committee, believes that the application of video assistant referee (VAR) technology in the V-League will help reduce errors by the refereeing team: “Before VAR, decisions on the field depended entirely on the referee's ability. Meanwhile, the number of Vietnamese referees capable of officiating high-level matches is small. Very few Vietnamese referees have the ability to keep up with the development of international referees. Due to the shortage of referees, the Referee Committee does not have many options in assigning referees to officiate matches.”

Previously, when the V-League entered its final rounds, the VFF and VPF would jointly invite foreign referees to officiate. However, this season, the VFF has proactively invited Malaysian referees to officiate key matches after the two federations signed a cooperation agreement. 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 15th). This is a crucial match, as both teams are in the high-risk group of relegation. Therefore, the tournament organizers have decided to invite referee Razlan Joffri (Malaysia) to officiate this match. Referee Razlan Joffri previously officiated the match between Dong A Thanh Hoa and Ho Chi Minh City, which Dong A Thanh Hoa won 5-3, in round 7 of the 2023 V-League. In that 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 performed his duties well.

3. Foreign referees solve many problems, from the psychological impact on the teams and the reassurance felt by the fans to ensuring fair play. Inviting foreign referees to officiate in the V-League also reduces headaches for the league organizers, and there are fewer complaints from the teams. Even when foreign referees make mistakes, the management, coaching staff, players, and fans all consider it bad luck, not a case of biased refereeing.

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NGUYEN THUAN