Why did VPF rush to invite foreign referees right from the first leg of V-League 2023?

Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF) has continuously invited many foreign referees to officiate matches since the first phase of V-League. It is no coincidence that the tournament organizers made a decision that rarely appears in the history of Vietnamese football. Despite many efforts, V-League 2023 still has continuous referee errors that affect the results of matches.

When VAR cannot be applied in V-League anytime soon, VPF needs to take measures to save the tournament before waiting for a "long-term" turning point. The issue of trust between football teams is very important. When many domestic black-shirted kings continuously make mistakes, they do not receive sympathy from their teams and fans. From here, many bad mentalities will arise.

Referee Muhammad Nazmi Bin Nasaruddin (left) officiated in round 11 of V-League 2023.

There is no guarantee that foreign referees will not make mistakes, but they receive more sympathy. The consequences of these mistakes are actually less serious than when Vietnamese referees give "distorted whistles". Public opinion immediately directed criticism at individual referees and especially VPF.

Although it is the tournament operator, for many years VPF has only had the right to refuse to invite some referees to work, typically the case of Mr. Truong Hong Vu in V-League 2019. Referees are under the management of the VFF Referee Board. Therefore, it is not uncommon for "soldiers" to make mistakes and then the Head of the Referee Board has to publicly admit their mistakes.

Therefore, VPF is forced to "manage risks" by hiring foreign referees. Not waiting until round 10 or round 11, but right from round 7, the matches in V.League 2023 have had foreign referees. VPF invited the referee to officiate the match between Thanh Hoa Club and Ho Chi Minh City Club. Before that, Coach Vu Tien Thanh continuously criticized the refereeing in the matches that he and his students played.

Fortunately, foreign referees have not made any mistakes, although they are not necessarily "better" than their Vietnamese counterparts. When VAR cannot be used in the V-League, foreign referees are still a "kill two birds with one stone" solution for VPF at this time.

Mai Phuong

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Source: https://vtc.vn/vi-sao-vpf-gap-rut-moi-trong-tai-ngoai-ngay-tu-luot-di-v-league-2023-ar796923.html