Bulgarian coach mocks Vietnamese referees

The referee gives coach Velizar Emilov Popov (R, 2nd) a yellow card during the game between Thanh Hoa FC and Becamex Binh Duong on Dec. 22, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Dong

Before facing Binh Duong in the Friday V. League match, Thanh Hoa were undefeated this season.

Their goal for Friday’s game was to take home three points and swipe the league’s first-place position from Binh Duong.

However, despite putting pressure on their opponent throughout the match, they failed to create chances good enough to score goals.

Then, with the score still 0-0 in the 75th minute, Thanh Hoa conceded on a successful freekick from Binh Duong’s Vo Minh Trong.

Popov got a yellow card in the 25th minute when he demanded the referees book a Binh Duong player. He also reacted actively to many other referee decisions.

"Playing well is not enough to get a win. That’s Vietnamese football," Popov said after the game. "I didn’t do anything but then I got a yellow card. They did that so I couldn’t do my job. All I can say is Vietnamese referees are really good, some of the best in the world."

After praising his players, Popov continued to mock the refs.

"We tried our best like we always do. There’s no reason for us to not be happy. The result depended on the referees’ decisions," he added.

The first defeat of the season wasn’t enough to kick Thanh Hoa fully out of the league’s top three, but Binh Duong are now five points ahead of them. Popov said it would now be hard for Thanh Hoa to win the league this season.

"Congratulations to Binh Duong. They are rich and have money to buy star players. They have what it takes to win the league, while Thanh Hoa are in difficulty and we cannot win it. We only focus on our playing style because no matter how hard we try, we can’t climb higher," he went on.

Popov is known for his "strong personality," and he often reacts outwardly towards the refs and even his own players. This season, he’s received three yellow cards in seven games. When Thanh Hoa won the Super Cup earlier this season, Popov also got angry and didn’t want to receive the medal because the organizers refused to allow his wife and kids on the podium to celebrate with him.