In the 5th minute of second-half stoppage time at Hang Day Stadium, Thanh Hoa defender Truong Thanh Nam made a strong tackle on Wesley Nata near The Cong's technical area. Referee Nguyen Viet Duan issued a yellow card, but home team members believed it should have been a red card.
Coach Velizar Popov repeatedly waved his arms and shouted fiercely at the main referee. In response, Mr. Duan issued a yellow card to Popov. The The Cong coach, unhappy with the decision, rushed onto the field to confront the referee. Immediately, the referee issued a second yellow card, followed by a red card, ejecting Popov from the dugout.
After being restrained, the coach, born in 1976, tore off his coach's pass from around his neck and threw it forcefully towards the technical area. He remained in his seat and only moved to the locker room after being reminded a second time by the main referee.
The V-League organizing committee, Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF), subsequently submitted a file to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) recommending a sanction for Coach Popov's excessive behavior, which affected the league's image. Today, the VFF Disciplinary Committee decided to ban the Bulgarian coach for 4 matches and fine him 20 million dong.
However, Coach Popov is not satisfied, claiming the organizing committee only considered one side and that referee Duan also made many errors. He affirmed that he would continue to protest against incorrect decisions. "I want the V-League to end unfair decisions from referees," Popov told VnExpress. "I will fight to the end for fairness for my team and players. No one can sway or stop me".
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Coach Velizar Popov (right, in black shirt) reacts to referee Nguyen Viet Duan (left, in blue shirt) during The Cong's 1-0 victory over Thanh Hoa in round 18 of V-League 2025-2026, at Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi, on 10/4. *Photo: Hoang Huynh* |
As of noon today, The Cong Club has not decided whether to appeal Coach Popov's ban. If there are no changes, The Cong will be without its head coach for four V-League matches: against HAGL (home), Da Nang (away), Ninh Binh (home), and Ha Tinh (away).
Coaches reacting excessively to referees and throwing cards in the V-League have a precedent for punishment in the 2023-2024 season. Accordingly, Mr. Tran Tien Dai, then technical director of Cong an Ha Noi Club, was banned for 5 matches for a similar reaction in a 3-0 victory over Binh Duong. That match also took place at Hang Day Stadium, with referee Duan officiating.
Velizar Popov is a coach with a strong personality. He has received 13 yellow cards and two red cards in the V-League across three seasons managing Thanh Hoa and The Cong. Additionally, the 50-year-old coach has also received numerous retrospective penalties for on-field reactions or public statements criticizing referees and the organizing committee.
Coach Popov once called referee Le Vu Linh a "professional assassin" after The Cong's 1-1 draw with SLNA in round 17 this season. However, the organizing committee did not propose any disciplinary action.
