AFC to fine Vietnamese club HAGL for rescheduling training session

By Hoang Nguyen April 18, 2022 | 03:45 am PT

HAGL players (in blue) during the AFC Champions League game with Yokohama F. Marinos on April 16, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Dong

V. League club HAGL will face a cash fine for changing its training schedule without notifying the Asian Football Confederation.

The V. League club will have to pay $10,000 for moving the schedule of a training session of AFC Champions League (ACL) on April 15 without letting AFC supervisor know in advance. HAGL had a session at 4 p.m. but moved it to 4:30 then 5 p.m. Although it's normal to rechedule a session, HAGL didn't tell AFC, going against its code of conduct.

Previously, in the pre-game press conference also on April 15, HAGL violated another AFC regulation when a few members of the club including the head coach, a player and a translator wore jerseys carrying the sponsor's logo. A fine for this violation has yet to be decided.

This is HAGL's return to the ACL after 17 years. They are the host of all matches in group H of AFC Champions League this year. In the first game, the club lost 1-2 to Japan's Yokohama F. Marinos. On Tuesday, they will face Australian club Sydney FC and on Friday, take on South Korea's Jeonbuk.