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Vietnamese football officials resign
  • By Kim Dien | dtinews.vn | September 16, 2013 11:49 AM

The heads of the two top Vietnamese football championships, V-league and First-Division resigned just after the completion of the 2013 football season.

 

Mr. Tran Duy Ly

For the Head of V-League Tran Duy Ly, this is not surprising news because during his time in  charge he faced strong opposition from the leaders of Vietnam Professional Football JS Company (VPF) which manages these two leagues, as well as from the public.

Mr. Ly intended to step down at the final stage of V-League 2013 after being criticised for a lack of determination in dealing with cases in which a number of matches took place in the substandard light at Dong Nai Stadium. The pitch was very poor, which not only interfered with play but also threatened to cause injury to the players.

Mr Ly fell out of favour when he interfered in a debate about a disputed goal at a match between Thanh Hoa and Xuan Thanh Saigon clubs on August 24.

Watching the match from the stands, Ly said the ball went over the touch-line, but when he viewed the video replay he changed his mind and said the referee was right. This caused outrage for Thanh Hoa team and their fans.

For these actions, overstepping the bounds of his responsibilities, Deupty Head of VPF’s Ethics Consultation Board said that Mr. Ly should be fired.

Meanwhile, Head of the First Devision, Nguyen Huu Bang’s decision is quite surprising as he is not involved in any similar dispute.

Speaking with a DTiNews reporter, Mr. Bang said, “Honestly, I am not afraid of pressure or of coping  with  public opposition. Their reactions sometimes help us to fix weaknesses for the better .”

“I decided to leave the post simply because I want to give the floor to the next generation. So when I spoke to Mr. Ly I suggested that we both resign,” Bang added.

However, according to VPF, despite not being heads of the two leagues any more, Ly and Bang will  continue to work with them in the role of consultants.

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