Yesterday (October 31), Gia Lai Provincial Police summoned striker Martin Dzilah for the second time - who is in a legal dispute with Hoang Anh Gia Lai club.
Hoang Anh Gia Lai recruited Martin Dzilah in October 2023. However, after 3 matches, this player was released. The two sides agreed on a compensation of 20,000 USD.
On March 21, 2024, at the team office in Pleiku, Martin Dzilah and Head of Delegation Nguyen Tan Anh took a photo with the liquidation minutes, signed by both parties.
But a few months later, the player filed a lawsuit with FIFA, claiming he had not received the money.
FIFA also banned Hoang Anh Gia Lai from registering new players until it fulfilled its financial obligations to Martin Dzilah. The team also had to pay $29,000 with interest.
Hoang Anh Gia Lai appealed to FIFA, but the penalty remained the same.
During yesterday's meeting (October 31), Martin Dzilah continued to deny that he had been paid $20,000 in compensation as reported by Hoang Anh Gia Lai.
Meanwhile, Hoang Anh Gia Lai still maintains its stance of not paying any additional fees as requested by FIFA because it believes that the team has fulfilled its financial responsibility in the process of terminating the contract with this player.
Sharing about the incident, on the morning of November 1, Chairman Doan Nguyen Duc (Bau Duc) of Hoang Anh Gia Lai club said that his team only gave money to the players and never had any bad intentions and certainly did not commit fraud for 20,000 USD.
Mr. Duc also confirmed that there was no story of the police returning the complaint file as previously reported.
"There is never a case of Hoang Anh Gia Lai cheating players' salaries. Hoang Anh Gia Lai has always given them money, there is no such thing as stealing salaries.
20,000 USD is not a big deal for Hoang Anh Gia Lai. We will find the truth at all costs. It is no longer about money, but about the club's reputation," said Mr. Duc.
Bau Duc said that the liquidation of player Martin Dzilah took place according to the correct procedure. When Martin Dzilah received 20,000 USD, there was a receipt, a photo and a witness at the office.
"No one signs a receipt without receiving money. Payment methods such as bank transfer or cash are normal. We pay cash for speed, in front of many people.
I affirm that Hoang Anh Gia Lai does not cheat players, we only give players. Hoang Anh Gia Lai spends thousands of billions of VND to train young players. We have not offended anyone, including famous stars. 20,000 USD is very small for us, just one month's salary for foreign players," Mr. Duc added.
