Tran Chi Cong, 'third time's the charm' of scandal.

(Baonghean.vn) - Not counting the recent eventsA Facebook account named Tran Chi Cong features images of a Japanese sword along with offensive and derogatory remarks targeting the VFF and the press after receiving a penalty.The Disciplinary Committee of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) stated that this central defender is already well-known for his on-field scandals.

Central defender Tran Chi Cong (XSKT Can Tho) is not only known for his rough tackles but also for his repeated involvement in unsportsmanlike conduct. To date, Chi Cong has been involved in four controversial incidents, resulting in a total fine of 60 million VND and a 15-match ban, making him one of the few defenders with a negative image in the eyes of football fans.

Photo: Internet

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On June 12th, center-back Tran Chi Cong (Can Tho) was handed a three-match ban and a 20 million VND fine by the Disciplinary Committee of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) for stepping on midfielder Thai Quy (Hanoi FC) in the rescheduled match of Round 11 of the 2017 V-League between the two teams last weekend. Although Chi Cong swore he did not intentionally step on his younger teammate Thai Quy, the Disciplinary Committee disagreed after reviewing the slow-motion footage, especially considering the player's history of misconduct.

Immediately after the Disciplinary Committee of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) issued a decision to ban central defender Tran Chi Cong from playing for 3 matches and fine him 20 million VND, images of knives and swords were posted on what is believed to be the 34-year-old player's Facebook page, along with threats against the VFF and journalists.

Accompanying the photo of three swords was a threatening and vulgar caption: "You bastards. One for the Federation. One for the editorial office. The last one for you damn journalists... Now I'm not afraid of you bastards anymore..."

The image shows three Japanese swords posted on Facebook by a user named Tran Chi Cong.

However, Chi Cong and his wife immediately took to social media to defend their Facebook account, claiming it had been hacked, because otherwise, the VFF would immediately issue a severe penalty. FIFA always demands that member federations decisively remove members who act aggressively like this from football. Furthermore, many lawyers even argue that such threats, if discovered, could lead to criminal prosecution.

The habit of getting fined remotely.

It wasn't Huu Thang or Huy Hoang of SLNA in the past, but Chi Cong who was the most aggressive and unsportsmanlike player in Vietnamese football.

In 2011, while playing for Binh Duong, during a match against Hanoi ACB, the central defender from Can Tho made a direct studs-up tackle to the knee of striker Lucas Cantoro. The Argentinian player not only suffered a serious injury but was also so traumatized that he considered leaving Vietnamese football. To this day, this is still considered the "most brutal tackle in V.League history." Also in that year, Chi Cong was chased and severely injured by a gang of thugs in the middle of the night due to off-field conflicts.

In 2012, while playing for B.Binh Duong, Chi Cong was also sent off by referee Nguyen Trong Thu for a foul in Binh Duong's match against Thanh Hoa in the third round of the V-League. Following this, Chi Cong was further suspended for four matches and fined 15 million VND by the VFF. As usual, after receiving the red card, Chi Cong became very aggressive, even though "prince" Trong Thu was known for his strictness as a referee.

In 2015, while playing for Long An, Chi Cong was also retrospectively punished for spitting in the face of Da Nang defender Van Hoc during a V.League match in round 8. He was suspended for 3 matches and fined 10 million VND. What's noteworthy is that Chi Cong repeatedly denied the offense, but video footage contradicted him – a highly offensive act that outraged the audience.

Chi Cong (in the red shirt) always makes malicious tackles. Photo: Internet

In August 2016, while playing for XSKT. Can Tho, Chi Cong was once again banned for 5 matches and fined 15 million VND by the VFF for insulting and threatening the referee during Can Tho's match against Quang Ninh in round 22 of the V-League. In the 90th minute of the match, Chi Cong played roughly against Quang Ninh player Bui Van Hieu and was shown a second yellow card by referee Duy Lan, resulting in his sending off.

Immediately, Chi Cong used very vulgar language to insult referee Lan. Furthermore, after the match, the Can Tho center-back continued to aggressively threaten Mr. Lan. The entire incident was reported to the tournament organizers by referee Duy Lan, and he received a harsh punishment. When he received a 5-match ban from the VFF in 2016, Chi Cong threatened to retire, but for some reason changed his mind, leading to further scandals for himself and the team.

Words from the stands

Central defender Chi Cong is the type of man who dares to do things but doesn't dare to take responsibility. He always tries to defend himself and make excuses for every punishment, so his football career has been plagued by scandals. In fact, besides the punishments already announced by the VFF, there were many matches where Chi Cong played aggressively, tackling the ball excessively and beyond what was necessary and permissible.

Most viewers believe that Chi Cong himself needs to recognize his mistakes and correct them, instead of blaming others. The rough play in the V-League, as seen in Chi Cong's game, needs to be condemned and severely punished if we want to create a healthy football environment. We come to the stadium to buy tickets to watch football, not to see brutal tackles and offensive actions, Mr. former national team player Chi Cong!

AT