Hanoi, May 2, 2025 – FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has expelled Phu Tho FC from Vietnam’s National Second Division (V.League 3) and relegated them to the Third Division (fourth tier) for match-fixing, Reuters reported on May 2. The semi-professional club, alongside Kenya’s Muhoroni Youth, faces severe sanctions, with FIFA also barring Muhoroni from their second-tier league, highlighting global efforts to combat corruption, per VFF’s anti-match-fixing stance.
FIFA concluded Phu Tho FC manipulated matches in the 2025 Second Division season, though specific games weren’t disclosed. The club, based at Viet Tri Stadium, is removed from V.League 3—where teams like Becamex Binh Duong’s youth squad compete—and must play in the amateur Third Division next season. Both clubs can appeal, per FIFA, but no deadline was specified. This aligns with FIFA’s 2011 anti-corruption framework, which imposed lifetime bans on players like El Salvador’s Dennis Alas, per historical cases.
Phu Tho FC’s 2025 campaign began poorly, losing all three opening matches, including a 3-0 defeat to Than Quang Ninh on April 28, per Sofascore. Their 2023-2024 First Division (V.League 2) season was disastrous, with one win, three draws, and 16 losses in 20 matches, leading to relegation to V.League 3, below Hanoi Police FC and Hoang Anh Gia Lai’s level. Formed in 2019 with Song Lam Nghe An youth and Hanoi FC’s U21 core, Phu Tho FC climbed from the Third Division to V.League 2 by 2021 but faltered, finishing 9th in 2022 with 21 points.
The punishment, akin to Juventus’ 2006 Serie B demotion for Calciopoli, jeopardizes Phu Tho FC’s growth. Coach Ho Thanh Thuong, architect of their 2020 Second Division title, faces uncertainty, with VFF silent on implicated players, unlike the 2024 betting scandal prosecuting five under Penal Code Article 321. Viet Tri Stadium, a 3,000-capacity venue that hosted Vietnam’s 2024 AFF Cup final leg, risks fading from prominence, unlike The Cong Viettel’s robust facilities.
Phu Tho FC’s future depends on their appeal and rebuilding in the Third Division, a tier below Nam Dinh FC’s youth teams. The scandal, mirroring China’s 2012 CFA bans, may push VFF to strengthen oversight, as seen in Binh Dinh FC’s compliance efforts. For now, Phu Tho FC’s ousting from V.League 3, where The Cong Viettel’s reserves thrive, serves as a stark FIFA warning to Vietnam’s football ecosystem, urging integrity akin to Song Lam Nghe An’s youth-driven model.
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