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HCMC's Tan Binh District Police detained Manh on Thursday to investigate charges of disturbing public order.
The arrest followed a week of public outrage after video footage of the assault, which occurred during a match on Dec. 22, was widely circulated online and in the media. The incident drew thousands of comments condemning Manh’s actions.
Authorities stated that the arrest reflects the HCMC Police Department's commitment to strictly handle acts that disregard the laws just because of small conflicts during sports competitions, festivals and traffic.
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Le Sy Manh at a police station in HCMC on Jan. 2, 2025. Photo courtesy of police |
During the match, Manh received a yellow card for elbowing an opposing defender in the chest. He then confronted referee Pham Van Nguyen and stroked his face, leading to a second yellow card. Enraged, Manh kicked the referee in the hip and punched him in the face. When Nguyen tried to flee, Manh chased him and continued to throw punches, despite intervention by teammates and security.
According to referee Nguyen, Manh had been warned to stop arguing with the opposing player but ignored the caution and elbowed him, resulting in a yellow card.
"I was caught off guard by the attack but managed to dodge and avoid serious injury. I do not plan to sue Manh, but I trust the tournament's organizers will take appropriate action," Nguyen said after the incident.
Manh, born in 1984, played seven matches for the national team under coach Henrique Calisto from 2009 to 2010. During his career, he played for several clubs, including Hanoi FC, Ninh Binh FC, Thanh Hoa FC, Quang Nam FC, Sai Gon Xuan Thanh and Hai Phong FC.
After retiring, he briefly worked as an assistant coach for Hai Phong but was dismissed in 2017 after a physical altercation with goalkeeper Dang Van Lam, 31. At the time, Manh alleged that Lam was repeatedly disrespectful to senior players.
This is not the first incident of players assaulting referees in Vietnamese football, particularly in amateur tournaments. On Jan. 9, 2024, referee Le Tuan Kiet was attacked by player Nguyen Hong Quang during a 7-a-side football tournament. Kiet sustained a 13% injury and Quang was called up by District 11 Police for questioning.
Le Sy Manh attacks referee Dang Van Nguyen on Dec. 22, 2024, and his subsequent arrest on Jan. 2, 2025.
