VFF to crack down on referee incompetence

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) opened a training course for referees, supervisors and co-ordinators for new season of Vietnam's the top-flight V-League on December 12.

V-League 2011 was marred by refereeing decisions that plunged the closing matches of the league into controversy.

The move is aimed to stamp out corruption and incompetence among match officials that have marred the beautiful game.

The VFF invited officials from the Social Order Crime Investigation Police Department to address the issue of corruption and match-fixing.

Last season’s V-League was marred by refereeing decisions that plunged the closing matches of the league into controversy.

The National Referee Council suspended three referees Nguyen Cong Trong from Ben Tre Province, Nguyen Van Quyet from Thai Binh Province and Do Quoc Hoai from Hanoi from the V-League 2012 at the conclusion of last season.

Trong faced a storm of complaints from Navibank Saigon and Hoa Phat Hanoi, after the clubs accused him of unfair decision in matches with Vicem Haiphong.

Earlier, VFF Chairman Nguyen Trong Hy was cited by Tuoi Tre Newspaper as saying that Trong “made several mistakes” in the Vicem Haiphong-Hoa Phat Hanoi match and “was weak in officiating the game and co-ordinating with his assistants on the field."

Quyet was accused of incompetence in matches between Navibank Saigon-SHB Danang and Becamex Binh Duong-Vicem Haiphong.

Meanwhile, Hoai was suspended for his mistakes while officiating several matches and for an ambiguous accusation of leading an ‘unhealthy lifestyle’.

The National Referee Council also criticised three other referees for their mistakes in matches last season, including Ngo Quoc Hung, Vo Minh Tri and Nguyen Trung Kien. Tri previously won the FIFA Golden Whistle award in 2010 for the best referee of the year.

According to world football governing body FIFA’s regulations, the Referee Board has replaced the previous National Referee Council.

Head of the board Duong Vu Lam frankly admitted refereeing weaknesses in the V-League, noting that, in the new season, the board will take drastic action to monitor and discipline referees.

Referees and match officials who fail to meet health requirements set during the current training course will be removed from officiating duties, Lam disclosed.

www.dtinews.vn