On the morning of April 14, the Disciplinary Committee of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) met to review professional reports related to last weekend's matches. In which, the case of coach Velizar Popov is the focus when the Bulgarian coach was suspended from duty for 4 consecutive matches and fined 20 million VND for reacting to referees beyond his control.
The situation occurred in injury time of the match between The Cong Viettel and Dong A Thanh Hoa at Hang Day Stadium on April 10. Believing that Thanh Hoa players committed a dangerous foul on Wesley Nata but were not adequately handled, Mr. Popov reacted strongly to referee Nguyen Viet Duan, even throwing a card to perform duties in the technical area. After that, he received two consecutive yellow cards and was dismissed from directing.
According to the match report, coach Popov's behavior was identified as a serious violation of VFF's disciplinary regulations, affecting the image of the tournament. Therefore, the Disciplinary Committee applied a penalty of suspension from duty for 4 matches and a fine according to regulations.
This disciplinary action caused The Cong Viettel to suffer significant losses in the important stage of the season. Right in round 19, the army team will host Hoang Anh Gia Lai at home without the direct direction of the head coach on the technical bench.
In the match against Thanh Hoa, tension appeared throughout when the two teams continuously clashed strongly. Outraged by the way the match was conducted, coach Popov reacted fiercely many times and only stopped when players intervened, including Rimario Gordon - his former student.
After 18 rounds, The Cong Viettel has 38 points, 7 points behind the leading team Cong An Hanoi FC. In the context of the championship race entering a crucial stage, the absence of the head coach in 4 consecutive matches is considered a major disadvantage for this team.
