This decision was made after VPF updated the list of players who are not eligible to play based on disciplinary grounds related to cards in the Asian arena.
The Brazilian midfielder received a red card in the defeat to Tampines Rovers in the 1/8 round of the AFC Champions League Two held on February 18. According to AFC regulations, suspension is not waived when the team is eliminated, but will be maintained to be applied in the next matches of the league system managed by AFC when the player is eligible to play.
This means that if only considered according to the AFC's disciplinary framework, Leo Artur will serve a penalty in a club-level tournament organized by the AFC in the future.
However, Vietnamese football has its own mechanism for handling penalty cards from international tournaments. Accordingly, Clause 6, Article 11 of the VFF Disciplinary Regulations stipulates: "A person who receives a direct red card in the final matches of the AFC club-level tournament will be suspended from performing their duties and competing in the next match of the national football tournament organized by VFF, the Organizing Unit of the tournament".
Therefore, Leo Artur will not play in the away match of Cong An Ha Noi against Dong A Thanh Hoa in the postponed round, taking place on February 24.
The absence of this midfielder will certainly affect the personnel plan of Hanoi Police. Leo Artur is one of the important links in midfield, contributing to maintaining ball control and supporting attack.
However, the Police sector team still possesses a relatively thick force with many replacement options in the midfield. Coach Polking has experienced personnel to fill the gap left by Leo Artur. Compared to the relative force, Thanh Hoa is rated lower and it is difficult to create an advantage if the opponent maintains tactical stability.
