SLNA's fate in the V.League remains undecided.
(Baonghean.vn) - On the afternoon of August 24th, the Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF) held an online meeting with 27 professional football clubs. The main topic of the meeting was the suspension of the V-League, First Division, and National Cup. However, the question of whether there will be a champion and relegated teams remains unresolved, a matter of great concern to fans.
After the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) requested a review of the cancellation of the 2021 season,27 V-League teamsThe First Division and other teams discussed this issue in an online meeting held this afternoon (August 24). All 27 teams unanimously agreed to end the Vietnamese professional football season early due to the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic and the national team's schedule.
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Whether SLNA will be relegated or not has not yet been decided. Photo: Hai Hoang |
This is considered a historic decision for Vietnamese football. Previously, the VPF had decided to postpone the season to February 2022, but the teams disagreed because they would have to bear a huge cost over a long period without playing.
However, the meeting between VPF and the clubs did not discuss whether to award the championship trophy to HAGL (the team currently ranked first in the V-League 2021 standings) or whether the team at the bottom of the V-League 2021 standings (SLNA) would be relegated.
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| SLNA will certainly not accept relegation. Photo: Hai Hoang |
However, some clubs also expressed support for not including championship and relegation in the ranking. A representative from Quang Nam FC proposed granting HAGL the right to participate in the AFC Champions League, while Viettel and Hanoi FC would participate in the AFC Cup.
A representative from another V-League club added that, first and foremost, it's necessary to decide whether the tournament will be canceled or not so that the teams can proceed with matters related to player contracts, sponsors, etc. After that, the selection of the champion and whether or not there will be relegation will be discussed at another meeting.
Currently, all teams have disbanded their training camps, allowing players to return home to their families. To cut expenses, many clubs have begun terminating contracts with players, especially foreign players.
As for SLNA, they will certainly not accept relegation because they are receiving significant investment after securing a new sponsor. SLNA is currently at the bottom of the V.League table, and their General Director, Truong Manh Linh, recently declared: "We will not agree to the cancellation of the league and relegation. We still have many opportunities and SLNA is confident of avoiding relegation if the season continues."
At this point, the Nghe An team's fate remains uncertain and they must await the final decision from the VFF (Vietnam Football Federation).
