Request Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan to resign

Yesterday, November 24, Mr. Tran Song Hai - permanent vice president of the Vietnam Football Supporters Association - said that all key members of the Vietnam Football Supporters Association signed a letter sent to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).

Fans cried when witnessing the 1-4 loss of the U-23 Vietnam team to U-23 Myanmar - Photo: SH

The content of the letter requested Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan - General Secretary of VFF and Head of Vietnam Football Delegation at SEA Games 26 - and Head Coach Falko Goetz to resign due to the failures of Vietnam U-23 team. We would like to quote the content of the letter:

“We must have been very desperate to send this letter to VFF, because this is the whole heart, soul and sentiment of millions of Vietnamese football fans represented by the Vietnam Football Fans Association. In the past few days, wherever we go, we are always filled with sadness because adults, students, children, even pho vendors, all mention the disastrous defeat of U-23 Vietnam. Every time the national team or U-23 goes to compete, the whole country follows every step of the players. Because there is the flag and the colors, the “front line” that makes any citizen lose sleep due to national pride and boundless love for football.

Therefore, we are also more vulnerable when witnessing the humiliating, painful and weak defeat of U-23 Vietnam at SEA Games 26. Although we know that failure is a common thing in a game, there are "tragic" failures because there is the mark of dedication, of effort until the last moment. But in U-23 Vietnam this time, it is the weakness of a collective lacking vitality, lacking aspiration and taking the national flag and colors lightly, this failure is truly shameful.

... After the defeat in Indonesia, we heard the VFF leaders and coach Falko Goetz apologize to the fans, which we think is the move that the VFF and the coaching staff must make. But beyond the two words of apology, the VFF must organize an analysis, name and shame those involved and take specific responsibility, and it cannot be just a few general words of "learning from experience or drawing profound lessons". Looking back at the past, we have failed many times, from the event of the U-23 team being eliminated in the group stage at the 2001 Malaysia SEA Games to the match-fixing scandal in Bacolod, Philippines in 2005 and the failure of the U-23 team at the 2007 Thailand SEA Games... the responsibility is all placed on the head coach without pointing out the cause of the failure originating from the entire football industry. It is also a failure due to a lack of strategic vision and proper investment for which the VFF officials themselves must take responsibility, in addition to "beheading" the coach.

Ten years ago, since the time U-23 Vietnam failed at the Malaysian SEA Games until now, how have we learned from our experiences and overcome such profound lessons that at this SEA Games we introduced a team with small stature and only "average" technical skills, existing in a team lacking fighting spirit?

Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan has been in office for nearly two terms, with the role of "advisor" in the VFF apparatus, what has he done that at the hot spots of national football such as the previous scandals in V-League, the incident of U-23 Vietnam at SEA Games 23 (Philippines), U-23 Vietnam's disastrous defeat at SEA Games 24... he has not appeared and spoken out to the public? Of course, when in charge, the coach must be given authority, but more than anyone else, we must understand ourselves and know how to intervene in a way that advises the coach. So where was the role of the head of the delegation, Tran Quoc Tuan, at that time? What did he tell coach Goetz? How did the head of the delegation communicate with the players that each match was a chaotic performance lacking vitality?

In fact, U-23 Vietnam has failed miserably. In terms of goals, we have not completed our mission. So with all the self-respect of a professional, of a head of delegation, it is enough for head coach Falko Goetz and general secretary Tran Quoc Tuan to resign. We fans are no longer patient enough to hear the refrain of "apologizing and learning from experience". Right now, we need people who know how to take responsibility, talk and do, need VFF to restructure the apparatus, find more worthy people to pull Vietnamese football up and avoid falling behind.

(According to Tuoi Tre)