Cong An Ha Noi (CAHN) secured three points at Chi Lang Stadium in Da Nang on the evening of 22/3, thanks to Leo Artur's penalty goal. Coach Mano Polking acknowledged his team took a step closer to their championship goal, maintaining their top spot with 41 points, seven points ahead of second-placed The Cong.

However, at the post-match press conference, the CAHN head coach expressed dissatisfaction with the refereeing. He urged the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) to thoroughly review referee Nguyen Viet Duan's performance for an honest assessment. "Please, never let this referee officiate any CAHN match again," Polking stated. "I didn't want to, but I decided I had to speak. What happened today was beyond tolerance."

Coach Mano Polking of Cong An Ha Noi club. Photo: VPF

The Brazilian coach claimed at least 10 refereeing situations caused him frustration. He also offered to provide video evidence for reference. A prime example occurred in the 65th minute, when Rogerio Alves broke the offside trap, entered the penalty area, and was fouled by goalkeeper Phan Van Bieu. Referee Duan initially believed the Da Nang goalkeeper touched the ball first, but changed his decision after reviewing video footage pitchside. He awarded CAHN a penalty, from which Leo Artur scored the match's only goal.

"Imagine what would have happened without VAR. A situation that was very clear, yet the referee thought the goalkeeper touched the ball first," Polking said. "Towards the end of the match, there was a clear handball by a Da Nang player, but from a favorable viewing angle, he allowed the game to continue."

Polking also noted that in a 50-50 situation, the assistant referee quickly flagged CAHN for offside, while allowing play to continue for Da Nang. When he protested, the assistant referee simply smiled. Additionally, the coach, born in 1976, received a yellow card for protesting. This reminded Polking of an incident on 18/12 during a rescheduled 4th round V-League match where CAHN defeated HAGL three-one. In that game, Duan, then the fourth official, called the main referee to issue Polking a yellow card. That situation led to Polking accumulating three yellow cards, resulting in a suspension for the 12th round, though CAHN still managed a three-two victory against direct competitor Ninh Binh.

Da Nang forward David Henen's confrontation with the Cong An Ha Noi club coaching staff.

"I truly apologize for having to talk about referees. I don't like discussing them. I always say that anyone can make mistakes, or that eventually, everything will be fair," Polking shared. "I wish the referee the best. Perhaps he is a good referee, but I cannot hold back in the future because it is very difficult to control my emotions. If I am wrong, show me where I am wrong, and everything will be fine."

The CAHN head coach stated that if he makes a mistake, he would be the first to review what went wrong to improve. "I hope someone else will do the same," Polking added.

It is not uncommon for V-League clubs to specifically name referees and refuse to cooperate with them. Many clubs have previously sent petitions to the VFF or Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF), requesting that certain referees not be assigned to officiate their matches. Hanoi FC did so with Nguyen Manh Hai, SLNA with Nguyen Trung Kien and Vu Bao Linh, and Thanh Hoa with Le Vu Linh, among others. However, these requests were not met.

Coach Polking criticized Duan, yet CAHN has not lost a match officiated by this referee since the 2023-2024 season. The team has recorded 10 wins and three draws in the V-League and National Cup.

Hieu Luong