On the evening of February 14, Thanh Hoa club had a 2-2 draw with Ho Chi Minh City club in the 13th round of V.League 2024-2025. With this result, the Thanh team has 23 points after 13 matches, temporarily ranked 2nd on the rankings when 1 point behind Nam Dinh and has played 1 more match.
In this match, 2 members of the Thanh Hoa coaching staff, head coach Popov and Technical Director Hoang Thanh Tung, were given red cards after strong reactions to the referee.
Sharing at the post-match press conference, assistant Mai Xuan Hop of Thanh Hoa club said that the referee's decisions had a big impact on the final result of the match.
He said: "Thanh Hoa today is eager to win 3 points at Thong Nhat Stadium. The referee ruined the match, it was a sad thing. The loss of coach Popov was a big impact. Popov is an enthusiast, pushing the players strongly in every phase of the ball. This is a big disadvantage for Thanh Hoa.
When Thanh Hoa came here, to win 3 points to consolidate their top position, some details on the field were clear, no need to say. This directly affects the nature of the match".
Regarding the 1-point gap in the race for the top spot with Nam Dinh, assistant Mai Xuan Hop commented: "A point is a problem. Thanh Hoa tries every match, achieving the best for this year's season".
On the other side of the front line, coach Phung Thanh Phuong of Ho Chi Minh City also shared about Mr. Popov's strong reactions.
Mr. Phuong said: "Coach Popov's character was not only shown in this match, but in other matches. The problem of the reaction of coach Popov and the Thanh Hoa coaching staff is personality. All matches take place, both at home and away."
