"There are no forbidden areas in the fight against corruption."

VFF President Le Hung Dung affirmed this after the match-fixing and betting scandal in the Than Quang Ninh vs. Dong Nai game in Round 21 of the V-League came to light. According to the VFF leader, this is an opportunity to clean up Vietnamese football, thereby restoring trust among fans and investors, and elevating the development of the sport in the country.

VFF President Le Hung Dung

PV:Mr. Le Hung Dung, there is information suggesting that, before cracking down on corruption involving some Dong Nai players, the leaders of C45 had discussions and wanted to know your opinion?

- VFF President Le Hung Dung:Following the corruption scandal at V. Ninh Binh, I have frequently exchanged views with the leaders of C45 to unify our approach to the fight against corruption in football. I told the C45 leaders that, with their professional expertise and skills, they should help us clean up the country's football.

So, in your opinion, what significance does the discovery and exposure of the corruption scandal involving the Dong Nai players have for the fight against corruption that Vietnamese football is pursuing?

- On behalf of the VFF and all those who love clean, beautiful football, I would like to express my gratitude to the C45 Department for everything they have done, are doing, and will do. This is truly a great achievement for C45 and has great significance in the fight against corruption in football. Previously, we shouted a lot about fighting corruption, but the results were minimal. After the incident in Bacolod, corruption in football subsided for a while, but gradually, that specter has returned.

Many matches were perceived by the public as "suspicious," but no explanation could be found. In particular, illegal gambling rings began targeting Vietnamese football because it is a market with great potential. Because they couldn't find answers to these suspicions, those involved in wrongdoing became more reckless. Now, C45 has achieved something we haven't been able to do before: infiltrating gambling rings and finding evidence that will force those involved to admit their wrongdoing.

I believe that, with their capabilities and experience, C45 will uncover many corrupt elements and dark aspects of Vietnamese football. This will also be the foundation for us to protect the Vietnamese national team at the upcoming AFF Suzuki Cup.

Sir, is the VFF concerned that things will spiral out of control if the scope and individuals involved in the misconduct are expanded?

- My view is that there are no forbidden areas in the fight against corruption. Just think, if one person does the work and five people sabotage it, what will Vietnamese football become? What I fear most is that if we don't fight corruption decisively, those involved will hide and at some point continue to destroy the sport. Then, Vietnamese football will never be able to develop.

I want to take this opportunity to bring Vietnamese football back to its humane and transparent values. We may suffer losses and disruptions, but if we dare to confront the bad, the trust of fans and investors will return. And that is also the condition for teams to gradually become sustainable through ticket sales, advertising, and television rights.

Thank you for the conversation!

According to Bongdaplus