Coach Velizar Popov announces his permanent departure from the V-League after The Cong Viettel's draw.
The Bulgarian strategist publicly criticized the V-League's operating system as "terrible" and affirmed his departure after The Cong Viettel dropped points against Ho Chi Minh City Police.
On the evening of May 31st, the highly anticipated match in Thu Dau Mot City between The Cong Viettel and Ho Chi Minh City Police ended in a highly controversial scenario. Despite leading for most of the game, the military team allowed their opponents to equalize 1-1 in the final minutes, triggering a rare outburst of anger from coach Velizar Popov.
Dropping the victory in injury time.
Entering the penultimate round with the goal of securing the runner-up position early, The Cong Viettel had a favorable start. In the 34th minute, Nham Manh Dung capitalized on their advantage with a beautiful goal, putting his team ahead. However, the resilience of Ho Chi Minh City Police was shown at the right moment. In the final minute of the match, Nguyen Tien Linh was in the right place at the right time to tap the ball into the net from close range, securing a 1-1 draw.
This result leaves The Cong Viettel with 51 points, maintaining a 3-point lead over third-placed Ninh Binh. Although they hold their fate in their own hands in the race for the silver medal in the final round thanks to their superior goal difference, public attention has been focused on the heated reactions from the sidelines.
Coach Velizar Popov's rage
Throughout the 90 minutes of the match, coach Velizar Popov repeatedly expressed his dissatisfaction with the officiating of referee Izzul Fikri Kamaruzaman. The Bulgarian strategist did not hesitate to shout and react angrily after each penalty decision targeting his players.
In the post-match press conference, Popov made shocking statements about his future in Vietnam. He claimed his team was constantly being pressured and systematically having points "stolen" week after week. Notably, the coach openly expressed his intention to end his career in Vietnam.
"I find everything terrible. I'm leaving and never coming back again. I've had enough."Coach Popov bluntly declared this to the media.
Suspicions of rigged results
Not only did he announce his departure, the head coach of The Cong Viettel also raised serious questions about the transparency of the league. He hinted that the result of the recent draw seemed predetermined. Furthermore, he reiterated his frustration from the previous draw against PVF-CAND and mocked the refereeing in the V-League.
Currently, the tournament organizers have not yet issued an official response to Coach Popov's accusatory statements. However, the departure of one of the league's most outspoken strategists will undoubtedly create a significant void for The Cong Viettel in the upcoming season.