Relevant forces raided a hotel in Ha Tinh province and caught red handed a group of players taking in banned substances, a reliable source told VTC News on May 8.

Initially there were seven players but the agency confirmed only four of them got involved in the scandal, said the source, adding the case has been tracked for a long time.

Amongst the four was 2017 Golden Ball Award winner Dinh Thanh Trung. Three others were goalkeeper Duong Trung Hoc, midfielder Nguyen Trung Hoc and defender Nguyen Ngoc Thang.

The coaching board of Hong Linh Ha Tinh FC decided to cross out five names in the official lineup ahead of the team’s May 5 match in Binh Dinh province.

Currently Hong Linh Ha Tinh stand in eight position in the V-League rankings, scoring only 20 points from 16 played matches.