Is the VFF disregarding the rules or making things difficult for Quang Ninh?

The VFF Disciplinary Committee's retroactive two-match suspension of striker Joel Vinicius did not provoke a strong reaction. Clearly, Than Quang Ninh striker Joel Vinicius committed a violent act against defender Ho Tan Tai during the Than Quang Ninh vs. Binh Duong match in Round 22 of the V-League. However, his subsequent behavior caused a public outcry.

VFF's time-wasting tactics

Strangely, the B. Binh Duong - Than Quang Ninh match took place on September 14th, but why was the penalty only issued on September 18th, just three hours before round 23, when the Than Quang Ninh team's leadership had already prepared all the tactics for the match?

Fans in Quang Ninh, as well as their team, have been wondering where and what the members of the Disciplinary Committee have been for the past four days. It feels like they've just been sitting around waiting for video footage to arrive, waiting for evidence to be brought in before they sit down to review and decide on the case.

Not only did Quang Ninh suffer from the "time-wasting" error, but they also had the case of player Duong Van Khoa being wrongly accused and not having his name restored. In the 63rd minute of the match against B. Binh Duong, Duong Van Khoa used his head (and face) to save the ball, but referee Van Lap ruled that he used his hand to play the ball.

Referee mistakes are part of football, but knowing you're wrong and not correcting it shows a lack of fair play. (Image: Internet)

As a result, Van Khoa received a red card, leaving Than Quang Ninh with a player and an unfair penalty. And this injustice, known to everyone, continued into the 23rd round match, where Van Khoa and Than Quang Ninh had to accept a disadvantage.

If the Disciplinary Committee makes a mistake, who will handle it?

Immediately after the match, Than Quang Ninh filed a complaint expressing their desire for the league's organizing committee to review Van Khoa's red card. According to the team's representative, the red card was incorrect and should be overturned. However, according to Mr. Tran Anh Tu, Head of the V.League Organizing Committee, the red card given to Van Khoa cannot be overturned.

Mr. Tú said: “We share the feelings and aspirations of the Than Quảng Ninh team as well as player Văn Khoa personally. However, the rules do not allow for the removal of a card even if the decision stemmed from a referee's mistake. If the referee is wrong, the Disciplinary Committee will take action, but the penalty cannot be changed because that would be against the law.”

Perhaps Mr. Tú, being an "outsider," lacks in-depth knowledge of FIFA regulations, but why are the members of the Disciplinary Committee so unfamiliar with these provisions? Recall the 2014 La Liga season (December 2014), when the Spanish Football Federation's Disciplinary Committee decided to overturn the yellow card Leo Messi received in the match against Valencia..

During the match against Valencia, Messi was hit in the head by a water bottle thrown by a fan. He was in pain and writhed in agony, unable to return to the game immediately. The referee did not see the incident where Messi was hit in the head and issued a yellow card, believing he was deliberately wasting time. After reviewing the footage, the Spanish Football Federation's disciplinary committee decided to overturn Messi's yellow card.

Last year, in West Ham's 0-2 defeat to Man United in the 20th round of the 2017 Premier League, Sofiane Feghouli received a red card in the 15th minute after a tackle on Phil Jones.

This was a controversial decision by referee Mike Dean. West Ham appealed the decision to the FA regarding Feghouli's red card and were successful. The English Football Association overturned the three-match suspension for the French midfielder.

Let's play fair!

FIFA always demands that individuals and teams uphold a spirit of sportsmanship at all times and in all places. (Image: Internet)

FIFA's most important principle is Fair Play. This is a prerequisite for the development of football and for football to become the king of sports..FIFA even established the FIFA Fair Play Award to recognize exemplary behavior that encourages fair play and humanistic values ​​in football around the world.

Therefore, the fact that the Disciplinary Committee, regardless of whether they fully understood the rules, imposed retrospective penalties on the players for unsportsmanlike conduct but did not overturn Van Khoa's red card due to a referee's mistake demonstrates a lack of fair play..