Coach Popov receives a red card, assistant immediately speaks up to defend him

Assistant Van Bien of Viettel Club explains when Coach Popov was stripped of his coaching rights at the end of the match against Thanh Hoa.

Despite securing a thrilling victory over Thanh Hoa Club to earn all three points, the coaching staff of The Cong - Viettel could not hide their frustration after the match. Assistant Nguyen Van Bien shared candid remarks at the press conference, clearly expressing dissatisfaction with the refereeing team's management.

According to him, controversial situations on the field were evident to anyone watching the game. The assistant of the military-themed club emphasized that the refereeing issue was so obvious that no deep analysis was needed. He believed even spectators with limited football knowledge could easily notice the unconvincing decisions.

Particularly, Mr. Nguyen Van Bien expressed disagreement with referee Ngo Duy Lan's handling of the situation involving head coach Velizar Popov. He stated that it was unacceptable for the Bulgarian strategist to merely communicate with a player yet receive a card.

The assistant of The Cong - Viettel added that the referee's response of saying "that's football" and then calling the main referee to issue a card further fueled his frustration. He affirmed this was an unnecessary situation, directly affecting the team and the head coach personally.

Previously, Coach Velizar Popov considered not attending press conferences for the remainder of the season as a protest, but this proposal was not approved by the VPF organizers. This indicates the escalating tension between the club and the refereeing work.

Notably, since Coach Popov received a red card and was stripped of his coaching rights right at the end of the match, assistant Van Bien was permitted to answer the press conference in place of the Bulgarian captain. Earlier, VPF warned that if Coach Popov did not attend the post-match press conference, he would face fines and subsequently heavier penalties including a coaching ban.

Before Round 18 of V-League: CAHN races toward the finish, intense relegation battle unfolds!

Viettel narrowly defeats Thanh Hoa, maintaining pressure on the top spot