VFF does not know the rules or is it difficult for Quang Ninh?

The VFF Disciplinary Board's two-match suspension of striker Joel Vinicius did not cause any reaction. Obviously, striker Joel Vinicius of Than Quang Ninh had a violent act towards defender Ho Tan Tai in the match between Than Quang Ninh and B. Binh Duong in round 22 of the V-League. But his subsequent behavior caused a stir in public opinion.

VFF's time-wasting error

The strange thing is that the match between B. Binh Duong and Than Quang Ninh took place on September 14, but why was the penalty only given on September 18 and only three hours before round 23 when the leaders of Than Quang Ninh team had prepared all the tactics for the match?

Fans of Quang Ninh and their team have been wondering where the members of the Disciplinary Board have been and what they have been doing for the past four days. It seems like they have been sitting around waiting for the videotape to arrive, waiting for the evidence to arrive, then sitting down to examine and make a decision.

Not only was Quang Ninh disadvantaged because of the “time-wasting” error, there was also a case where player Duong Van Khoa was wrongly accused but was not given his “name back”. 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 judged that he used his hand to play the ball.

Referee mistakes are part of football, but knowing a mistake and not correcting it lacks the spirit of fair play. Photo: Internet

As a result, Van Khoa received a red card, causing Than Quang Ninh to lose a player from then on and receive an unfair penalty. And the injustice that the whole village knew about continued to the 23rd round match where Van Khoa and Than Quang Ninh team had to accept the loss.

Disciplinary Board is wrong, who will handle it?

Immediately after the match, Than Quang Ninh lodged a complaint, expressing their desire for the tournament's Executive Board to review Van Khoa's red card. According to the representative of the coal mining team, the red card was incorrect and should be deleted. However, according to Mr. Tran Anh Tu, Head of the V.League Executive Board, the red card for Van Khoa cannot be deleted.

Mr. Tu said: “We share the thoughts and wishes of the Than Quang Ninh team as well as the player Van Khoa personally. However, the law does not allow the card to be removed even if the decision comes from the referee's mistake. If the referee is wrong, the Disciplinary Board will take action, but the penalty cannot be changed because it is against the law.”

Perhaps as an “outsider”, Mr. Tu is not very knowledgeable about FIFA rules, but how could the members of the Disciplinary Committee not be familiar with these provisions? Recalling La Liga 2014 (December 2014), the Disciplinary Committee of the Spanish Football Federation decided to remove the yellow card Leo Messi received in the match against Valencia..

In the match against Valencia, Messi was hit in the head by a water bottle thrown by a fan. He was in pain and could not return to the game immediately. The referee did not see the water bottle thrown at Messi's head, so he gave Messi a yellow card because he thought he was deliberately stalling for time. After reviewing the video, the Spanish Football Federation's Disciplinary Committee decided to remove Messi's yellow card.

Last year, in West Ham's 0-2 loss to Man United in round 20 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 successfully appealed to the FA over Feghouli's red card. The English Football Association overturned the French midfielder's three-match ban.

Let's Play Fair!

FIFA always requires individuals and groups to uphold the noble spirit at all times and in all places. Photo: Internet

The biggest principle of FIFA is Fair Play. This is the prerequisite for developing football and for football to become the king of sports..FIFA even established the FIFA Fair Play Award to recognize exemplary behavior that promotes fair play and humanity in football around the world.

So whether or not they know the rules, the Disciplinary Board penalizes players for unsportsmanlike behavior but does not erase Van Khoa's red card due to the referee's mistake, which also shows an unfair spirit of play..