VFF issues ultimatum to referees after series of violence in V-League

Violence in the V-League 2026-2027 is becoming a hot issue when only after two rounds, there have been a series of rough plays by players. On September 20, Dong Nai FC hosted Hanoi Police FC (CAHN) at home, and it was here that striker Nguyen Dinh Bac of the away team became the "target" of the home players. Defender Le Van Son rushed in and elbowed Dinh Bac in the face during a challenge. Not stopping there, central defender Huynh Tan Sinh followed with two kicks from behind, aiming directly at the Achilles tendon of the CAHN striker. These situations were clearly captured by television cameras, but the main referee Le Vu Linh only showed a yellow card to Huynh Tan Sinh, causing public outrage. Earlier, in the second round of the V-League, violence had reached its peak. CAHN defender Doan Van Hau made a tackle from behind, breaking the leg of midfielder Doan Ngoc Tan of The Cong Viettel. In the same round, Nam Dinh foreign player Ezeqiuel Santos Da Silva kicked straight into the stomach of Vo Huu Viet Hoang of SHB Da Nang. Both plays showed signs of intentional injury, pushing the V-League into a state of alarm. Given this situation, representatives of the VFF, VPF and V-League Organizing Committee had a direct working session with the VFF Referee Board. At the meeting, the parties requested referees to "follow the law", maintain discipline in the tournament, and stop rough play on the field. The phrase "follow the law" means that there cannot be missed fouls or missed cards. This is seen as a direct warning to referees, after repeated mistakes. According to Dan Tri reporter, after the Dong Nai – CAHN match, former VFF Vice President for professional affairs and former Head of the VFF Referee Board Duong Vu Lam spoke out to criticize referee Le Vu Linh. He said: "Referee Le Vu Linh missed a card related to this play. Huynh Tan Sinh's foul was too blatant, but he was not shown a red card." He also affirmed: "If we retrospectively punish and suspend Tan Sinh for this fault, then we must also suspend referee Le Vu Linh similarly. In addition, the responsibility of the VAR team must be clarified." Mr. Duong Vu Lam further analyzed: "If the VAR team (including Mr. Vo Hoai Thuong and Mr. Nguyen Thanh Son) advised the main referee but was overruled by the main referee, then the VAR team completed their mission. Conversely, if the VAR team did not advise the main referee Le Vu Linh on the use of a red card for the foul mentioned above, then the VAR referees must also be disciplined." These statements show the deep dissatisfaction of experts with the way the referee team managed the match. Usually, specific disciplinary actions for referees are not publicly announced. Mr. Duong Vu Lam revealed: "But just look at the referee list in the next rounds to know whether the referees involved were suspended or not. If they are not assigned in the rounds immediately following the recent round, they are likely being disciplined." This is how the public can supervise the strictness of refereeing. The series of incidents raises a big question about the professionalism of Vietnamese football. The V-League is trying to promote its image, aiming for attractiveness and fairness, but plays like those of Doan Van Hau or Huynh Tan Sinh are ruining all those efforts. Breaking a colleague's leg is not just an accident in football, but also a matter of ethics and culture. Players need to understand that on the field, they not only play for their team's colors but also for respect for themselves and their opponents. One of the deep causes of violence on the field is the increasingly high pressure to win at clubs. When the season is played with a dense schedule, players can easily fall into a state of tension and lose control. However, this cannot be used as an excuse. Teams need to build a strict training environment that emphasizes discipline. Coaching staffs also have some responsibility when letting players commit excessive actions. On the refereeing side, to limit this situation, besides having to "follow the law", referees also need to be protected. When a referee makes accurate decisions, they will be the support for fairness. However, in the V-League, not a few referees show signs of indecisiveness. Missing red cards has become a chronic disease. In the Dong Nai – CAHN match, if referee Le Vu Linh had reacted strongly from the first situation of Le Van Son, perhaps Huynh Tan Sinh would not have dared to behave like that. The referee's weakness is part of the reason violence escalated. The VAR system also needs to be reviewed. VAR is expected to bring absolute fairness, but reality is not so. In the situation where Huynh Tan Sinh made a dirty kick, the VAR team including Mr. Vo Hoai Thuong and Mr. Nguyen Thanh Son gave no advice for the main referee to change his decision. This shows that they either did not see it or intentionally ignored it. Both cases are serious mistakes. The VFF needs to have clear sanctions for VAR referees if they do not perform their duties well. In addition, the public also asks: What has the VFF Referee Board done about the mistakes of referees in previous rounds? Without strict supervision and timely handling, referees will continue to repeat their mistakes. The urgent meeting between the VFF, VPF and the Referee Board is only a verbal warning. Specific and public punishment is needed to set an example. Clubs also need to take responsibility. They cannot only care about achievements while forgetting to educate players about fair-play spirit. Many V-League teams still underestimate education work, even leaving it entirely to coaches. Young players are trained in a "chasing achievements" style, leading to a lack of composure and discipline when playing. From the perspective of fans, violence on the field is unacceptable. Spectators come to the stadium to enjoy beautiful plays, not to witness ugly plays like dirty kicks. If this situation is not improved, fans will turn away, sponsors will leave, and the tournament will lose its commercial value. Therefore, the VFF's actions need to be decisive. One notable detail is that in the meeting, the VFF and VPF asked referees to "follow the law". This indirectly admits that previously, referees did not do it right. So why was the recognition so late? Is it because public opinion was too outraged that the organizers had to intervene? If so, Vietnamese football still works in a "fire fighting" manner. Based on my experience watching matches, situations like Huynh Tan Sinh's dirty kick often occur in highly tense matches, especially in decisive games. However, the fact that referees fail to detect or deliberately ignore them is a worrying issue. Modern football with VAR support requires referees to be braver in their decisions. At minimum, they must consult VAR in plays that risk injury. One long-term solution is to strengthen referee supervision through cameras, analyzing match data to accurately assess referee competence. The VFF could apply a scoring system for referees; those who make repeated mistakes would be suspended. This has been applied in many major European leagues and has brought positive results. In addition, players who violate should be dealt with by long bans, not just a few matches. For example, in leagues like the Premier League, dangerous tackles can lead to 3-5 match bans, or even more if repeated. The V-League should learn from this approach to deter. Returning to the Dong Nai – CAHN match, besides the situations of Le Van Son and Huynh Tan Sinh, referee Le Vu Linh also missed many other minor fouls by both teams. This made the match fragmented and created opportunities for violence. If the referee had controlled well from the first minutes, surely the match would not have had such bad images. Regarding CAHN, the fact that their players were brutally fouled repeatedly could make the team angry. However, they also need to remain calm, focus on resolving through official complaints to the Disciplinary Board. Strong reactions on the field or on social media will not change the result. Another issue is the media. The media needs to reflect objectively, not exaggerate or incite violence. The spread of violent clips on social media also needs to be controlled. Football needs to be seen as a civilized sport. Vietnamese football once had periods considered "paradise" for violent plays. Many years ago, matches like Hai Phong – Thep Mien Nam Cang Sai Gon, or Than Quang Ninh – Song Lam Nghe An often had collisions. However, in the past 5 years or so, when the V-League moved towards professionalism, this situation has decreased. But the 2026-2027 season seems to mark a dangerous recurrence. The meeting between the VFF, VPF and the Referee Board took place in a context where both teams and fans reacted strongly. On forums, thousands of comments demanded strict handling of players lacking culture. Many opinions say that if the organizers continue to "forgive" as in previous seasons, violence will increase more and more. It must be emphasized that in the V-League, many clubs do not have a medical force strong enough to handle serious injuries. Doan Ngoc Tan's broken leg could force him to rest for a long time, affecting his career. Vo Huu Viet Hoang was kicked in the stomach; if worse, it could be life-threatening. These are unpredictable consequences caused by players. In the meeting, representatives of the VFF and VPF may also have discussed the use of technology, such as increasing VAR seats or adding auxiliary cameras to support referees. It can be said that if applied thoroughly, VAR would be a "savior" for victims of violence on the field. However, the problem lies in the people operating VAR. According to procedure, in serious plays, the VAR referee must invite the main referee to review on the screen. The situation of Huynh Tan Sinh's dirty kick is certainly such a play. If the VAR team did not act, that is a dereliction of duty. If the main referee reviewed but still kept the yellow card, then it was Mr. Le Vu Linh's mistake. The recent situations show that we still do not have an effective supervision mechanism. Another important detail is retrospective punishment. If the VFF Disciplinary Committee reviews and issues a suspension for Huynh Tan Sinh, it would be a good precedent. However, as Mr. Duong Vu Lam said, if referee Le Vu Linh has fault, it must also be handled fairly. Fairness is the deciding factor in the tournament's reputation. Fans always have sharp eyes; they will never accept a "hit the drum, ignore the ritual" attitude. It is worth mentioning that not only players but also some referees lack professionalism in controlling matches. There are matches where the referee takes several minutes to handle a corner kick, but ignores plays that could seriously injure players. Not enforcing the rules thoroughly will create an unsafe environment for everyone. Recently, due to the effects of the epidemic, players' physical condition has not been at its best, leading to slower reactions. However, this is not an excuse for violence. Coaching staffs must have reasonable training and recovery regimes, while reminding players to obey the rules. Legally, Article 5 of the Vietnamese Football Law stipulates: players who intentionally kick or strike strongly at opponents will be shown a red card. So in the Dong Nai – CAHN match, why did referee Le Vu Linh not apply this rule? We need an answer from the Referee Board. Looking at the referee list assigned for the next round, we may see the absence of Mr. Le Vu Linh and the two VAR referees. This would be a sign that the VFF has taken strong action. However, as Mr. Duong Vu Lam said, this information is not public, making it difficult for public supervision. We hope the organizers will have a more transparent mechanism. From a commercial perspective, sponsors are very sensitive to the image of the tournament. If violence continues, they may withdraw capital, causing Vietnamese football to lose an important resource. This is a wake-up call for everyone. In the AFC, Vietnamese teams participating in continental tournaments are often assessed as lacking discipline, especially in tense matches. If players do not change their habits, we will continue to suffer on the international stage. There needs to be a change in thinking among all parties. In short, the meeting between the VFF, VPF and the Referee Board is necessary, but the measures must be strong and specific. Along with handling violating players, referees with errors must also take responsibility. Vietnamese football cannot just keep going on like this.