'The referee ruined the game'

Thanh Hoa Club is dissatisfied.

Before the 13th round of the V-League 2024-2025, Thanh Hoa FC had 22 points, 2 points behind league leaders Nam Dinh . If they had defeated Ho Chi Minh City FC, Coach Popov's team would have reclaimed the top spot, but this scenario did not materialize. In the post-match press conference, Mr. Mai Xuan Hop, assistant head coach of Thanh Hoa FC, expressed dissatisfaction with referee Le Vu Linh, who dismissed Coach Popov from the sidelines and showed a red card to Hoang Thanh Tung, a member of the visiting team's coaching staff.

Coach Popov was repeatedly unhappy with the referee.

Assistant coach Mai Xuan Hop attended the post-match press conference in place of Mr. Popov.

Mr. Hop expressed his frustration: "Today, Thanh Hoa Club desperately wanted to win 3 points at Thong Nhat Stadium. We really wanted to win to reclaim the top spot in the league. But the referee ruined the game, it's so sad. Some incidents on the field are clear and don't need to be repeated. It directly affected the nature of the match. For us, even just getting 1 point is a problem. Because Thanh Hoa Club is trying its best in every match with the hope of achieving the best possible result this season."

The former Vietnamese national team player added: "The absence of Coach Popov has greatly affected Thanh Hoa Club. He is a passionate person who always motivates and encourages the players in every play. Thanh Hoa Club suffered a great loss without Coach Popov's guidance in the second half."

What did coach Phùng Thanh Phương say about Mr. Popov?

On the other side of the pitch, coach Phung Thanh Phuong was not surprised by coach Popov's dismissal. The head coach of Ho Chi Minh City FC said: "A match where the referee needs to consult VAR so much affects the rhythm and morale of the players of both teams. Not only in this match, but other matches also have VAR and I, as well as the opponents, are affected. But in football, teams need to comply with and follow the regulations. As for Popov, that's just his personality. This is not the first match where coach Popov has reacted like that."

Coach Phung Thanh Phuong also expressed his delight at the point earned: "For us, this one point is very valuable, especially when facing an opponent that is among the leading teams like Thanh Hoa FC. We have achieved our initial goal. The players played with good spirit. This is a foundation for us to look forward to the next matches."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/trong-tai-pha-nat-tran-dau-185250214221858074.htm