Civil war between VPF and the Referee Board: When "sawdust" does not like "bitter melon"

Lantern

The argument between Mr. Hung and referee boss Hien makes public opinion even more fed up with VFF and VPF. Photo: Internet

For a long time, the press and social networks have been a channel used by VFF football bosses to "fight", information is still leaked in the style of "what is not known inside the house, is known outside".

This time, things are getting heated with about 5 minutes of audio being posted on social media.

The reason is that 2-3 newspapers quoted the Deputy of the Referee Board, Duong Van Hien, accusing the Vice President of VPF, Tran Manh Hung, of imposing the referee assignment in two matches involving Hai Phong Club, of which Mr. Hung is the president, and then sent threatening messages to Mr. Hien.

The case was assigned to the Inspection Board by VFF to verify and resolve. However, with people who “eat football, sleep football” like today, the old work has not been finished, new work has arisen.

On the evening of May 18, a 5-minute audio recording was circulated on social media, recording part of a meeting between representatives of the Vietnam Football Federation, VPF Company and the Referee Board 3 days earlier.

In fact, it was more of a "social" argument than an internal meeting of the VFF. The account that posted the recording on social media is a famous Southern fan of Vietnamese football and knows many VFF officials. He has long been quite frustrated with the way Vietnamese football officials work.

You must know who I am?

Without the caption, no one would know that it was a tape recording an internal meeting of VPF and VFF officials chaired by Head of the VFF Inspection Committee Nguyen Nam Hung.

Firstly, it contained all the street language, vulgar curses, and threats of violence from a person believed to be Mr. Tran Manh Hung - Vice President of VPF. Secondly, it showed the weak management of the host, almost powerless when Mr. Hung and Mr. Hien argued!

First of all, I sympathize with Mr. Hung's "enemy" when he was forced to intervene in the referee assignment of Hai Phong's match, where he is the club's president. Logically, VPF has the right to propose the referee assignment, and in addition, the person who signed that document was the VPF president, not Mr. Hung.

VPF did not accept Deputy Head of Department Hien as a referee supervisor, causing this boss to lose an income of 5 million VND/match. Photo: Internet

People deliberately steered public opinion towards him and expected a “head-spinning” performance from this man who is considered to be a “big talker” in Hai Phong. Mr. Hien hinted that he would speak out against VPF for interfering in the work of the Arbitration Board, making the “war” between VPF and this organization even hotter and exposing everything to the public.

No matter how you defend yourself, the fact that Mr. Tran Manh Hung - Vice President of VPF threw "vegetables, tubers, fruits" at the Deputy of the Referee Board, Duong Van Hien, and the meeting is something that needs to be criticized. The question: "You must know who I am?" cannot solve the confusion of the upper echelons of Vietnamese football because the market behavior cannot be applied here.

Although he was the “victim”, Mr. Hien’s reputation was not enhanced because the fans also understood the source of the problem. Mr. Hien’s “dirty trick” reminded many people of the VFF in the chaotic, terrible period with the devastating blows of the past.

The "weak" management of the Head of the VFF Inspection Committee, Nguyen Nam Hung, shows that the direction of the VFF President to "remind relevant parties and request the Inspection Committee to urgently carry out the next steps to handle the case in accordance with regulations" is unlikely to solve the problem at its root.

Perhaps, fans will have to wait until after the 8th Congress of VFF to know “who is who?” and to have specific policies and personnel to steer Vietnamese football. When “sawdust” does not like “bitter melon”, that’s it!