VFF officially imposes a heavy penalty on Ninh Binh's coach after criticizing the referee

The Disciplinary Committee of the Vietnam Football Federation has handed down a strict sanction to Ninh Binh Club’s coach Gerard Albadalejo after his comments condemning the referee during the game with CAHN.

The early first-leg final between CAHN and Ninh Binh in round 12 of the V-League at Hang Day Stadium on the evening of February 1st saw several heated moments, notably the Ninh Binh head coach’s reaction towards the referee after the final whistle.

Specifically, immediately after the match ended, Ninh Binh’s coach Gerard Albadalejo lost his composure and rushed onto the field with a very tense attitude. The strategist, born in 1983, approached the main referee from Malaysia, Razlan Joffri, prompting the assistant referees to quickly intervene to prevent the situation from escalating.

The tense atmosphere continued into the post-match press conference. Albadalejo entered the room visibly frustrated. Speaking to the media, he threw down his coach’s card and repeatedly slammed his hand on the table: "The referee ruined the match. The officiating was disgraceful. This referee should only blow the whistle in his home country Malaysia, and not come to Vietnam anymore."

According to Coach Gerard Albadalejo, the referees’ decisions disrupted the flow of the game, rendering all tactical plans and team efforts almost useless. Furthermore, the Spanish strategist continued to express his anger with harsh words, openly criticizing the refereeing team’s management.

On February 2nd, the VFF Disciplinary Committee reviewed the incident and imposed disciplinary measures on the Spanish coach. Consequently, Gerard Albadalejo was fined 10 million VND and banned from performing his duties for 2 matches in competitions under the Vietnam Football Federation’s system.