Unpaid Than Quang Ninh players go on strike again

On Friday, the players posted on their social media accounts a request to the Quang Ninh People's Committee, the club's sponsor Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group and the club's chairman Pham Thanh Hung to pay their salaries from September 2020 to April 2021, bonuses in late 2019 and other dues.

The money has amounted to around VND90 billion ($3.9 million), the players said.

"We have been promised a lot from day to day but haven't got anything," Quang Ninh midfielder Nghiem Xuan Tu said.

The provincial leaders on Friday decided to pay VND500 million of bonuses, but the players said the money was "too little" and they would not accept it.

The players said that if the situation doesn't change, they will act legally, within FIFA rules, to end their contracts with Quang Ninh after the first leg of the season.

"All the players will not play the next game if we don't get our payment. It has been too long. The club's officials keep promising, but don't pay," a Quang Ninh player said.

Quang Ninh has been facing financial problems before the 2021 season began, with their sponsor withdrawing. The team's head coach and many key players have already moved to other teams. Only a few have stayed and the club has had to use many young players from their academy. Despite this, the team has performed well. After eight rounds of the V. League tournament, they have 18 points, only one behind the table leader Hoang Anh Gia Lai.

In March, Quang Ninh players went on a strike and didn't train. Officials of the Culture and Sports Department had to talk to them and promise that they would be able to pay them in the next week. The players went back to training and won two games. However, they haven't received any payment since.

As scheduled, Quang Ninh will play Hanoi FC in the next V. League game on Sunday.