Vietnam National Team's 'Hot' Striker Not Registered in V-League; Former Premier League Star and China National Team Coach Receives Life Sentence

Hai Phong Club sets conditions for Ha Tinh in the Xuan Truong case

Currently, the deal of Luong Xuan Truong joining Hong Linh Ha Tinh Club from Hai Phong FC has not been completed.

The Central team is willing to pay a fee to borrow the former midfielder of Hoang Anh Gia Lai until the end of the 2023/2024 season, and has even printed shirts with this talented player's name on them.

Most recently, Hai Phong Club wants to add a clause that Xuan Truong is not allowed to play in Ha Tinh's direct matches with the Hai Phong team this season. If Ha Tinh accepts the above request, Mr. Hoan's club will agree to let Xuan Truong join the Hong Mountain team.

This condition made Ha Tinh Club unhappy. Previously, the Central team really wanted Xuan Truong to be able to play in the match between the two teams in round 13 of V-League on March 8, which took place at home.

Ha Tinh also agreed to let Xuan Truong not play as a starter but could come on as a substitute. Currently, the two teams are still negotiating on this issue before making a final decision.

Vietnam National Team's 'hot' striker not registered in V-League

Striker Nguyen Dinh Bac was disciplined and absent from the match where Quang Nam Club drew 0-0 at Hoang Anh Gia Lai Stadium in V-League 2023/24 on the afternoon of February 23.

In the match of round 10 of V-League, striker Nguyen Dinh Bac was not on the list of registered players. Previously, this player also did not participate in the match between Quang Nam and Binh Duong.

This is an internal penalty that Quang Nam gave to Dinh Bac. The striker born in 2004 joined the team 1 day late compared to the team's spring training schedule without a valid reason and without reporting.

This is not the first time Dinh Bac, who scored against Japan at the 2023 Asian Cup, has violated discipline at the Central team. Therefore, despite being short of players, Quang Nam still took strong action against Dinh Bac even though the player had apologized.

Former Premier League star and China national team coach sentenced to life in prison

Chinese media recently reported that former player Li Tie - considered one of the greatest legends of Chinese football, who played for Everton for many years - was sentenced along with nearly 20 other national football officials in the recently concluded trial. Li Tie alone received a life sentence.

Li Tie was sentenced to life in prison for three counts of match-fixing, bribery and accepting bribes. Specifically, the 46-year-old former midfielder was accused of fixing matches to help Hebei China Fortune (2015-2016) and Wuhan Zall (2017-2019) gain promotion during his time as coach of these two teams.

It is worth noting that Li Tie has been found guilty of bribery to secure the position of head coach of the Chinese national team. The former Everton and Sheffield United midfielder admitted to paying 3 million yuan (£330,000) in bribes to secure the hot seat of the Chinese national team. During his tenure as head coach of the national team from 2020 to 2021, Li Tie accepted bribes to promote players to the national team.

According to Chinese media, after hearing the verdict, Li Tie collapsed in front of the dock. As soon as he regained consciousness, the former coach of the Chinese national team immediately retracted his statement and announced that he would appeal.

Also related to this scandal that shook Chinese football, Du Zhaocai - former Deputy Director of the General Administration of Sport of China was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Meanwhile, former President of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) - Chen Xuyuan was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Speaking more about Li Tie, the 46-year-old former midfielder is considered one of the best Chinese football players of his generation. The peak of Li Tie's career was when he joined Everton on loan in 2002 from Liaoning. In 2003, The Toffees spent £1.2 million to buy Li Tie outright.

Volleyball players who refuse to join the national team will be banned from competing.

The General Secretary of the Vietnam Volleyball Federation affirmed that they are building regulations to prioritize national tasks with athletes and volleyball clubs.

Mr. Le Tri Truong - General Secretary of the Vietnam Volleyball Federation affirmed: "The concentration of the national team is included in the regulations of the Department of Physical Training and Sports to prioritize national tasks above the interests of individuals and clubs. However, the Vietnam Volleyball Federation does not have such regulations. Therefore, we drafted the regulations for the 2024 season to attach the responsibilities of athletes and clubs and put national tasks first. The regulations only count for one tournament, in one year. This is the premise for us to build regulations and rules for the national team with athletes".

Previously, the tournament's regulations stated: "Athletes who are called up to the national team or national youth team for international competition but do not comply with the summons of the Vietnam Volleyball Federation and the Department of Physical Education and Sports for any reason (except in cases of force majeure and with the consent of the federation) will be banned from competing in the following year."

In 2023, there was a case where an athlete asked to refuse to join the national team due to personal issues. The Vietnam Volleyball Federation and the governing body accepted the athlete's wishes, but this also faced mixed opinions from the public when the athlete repeatedly asked not to join the national team.

The 2024 National Volleyball Championship includes two categories for men and women, with 9 teams participating. This is the final year in the professional transition process, shortened to 8 teams per category from next season./.