Coach Popov: 'If I comment on the referee, I will be punished'

Coach Popov openly expressed his thoughts following Thể Công Viettel's 1-0 win against Nam Định in the 10th round of the V-League on February 24 evening.

In the rescheduled match of the 10th round of the V-League on the night of February 24, Thể Công Viettel Football Club secured a narrow 1-0 victory over the defending champions Nam Định, thereby temporarily maintaining their 3rd place on the standings and closing the gap to 2 points behind the second-placed Ninh Bình.

After the match, when asked about the strategy to "neutralize" Xuân Son, the coach frankly stated: "Honestly, we didn't prepare anything special specifically for Son. We played 11 against 11. Football is not an individual game; it’s a team effort."

"Son is the best player in the league, but my players knew what to do. We made his day difficult through collective spirit," he added.

In the 33rd minute of the match, Coach Popov received a yellow card. When asked about the refereeing, the Bulgarian coach said:"No comments. If I speak, I will be penalized. It’s better for me to stay silent and focus solely on the team's performance."

According to Coach Popov, Thể Công Viettel aims to win each match this season: "We just try our best, keep fighting spirit, and move forward,"he shared.

At the end, when asked about the financial situation and difficulties of Thanh Hoá Club, Coach Popov declined to answer. He said that as the head coach of Thể Công Viettel, commenting on other teams is unprofessional.