Gia Lai, 22 May, 2025 – Concerned about potential negative outcomes, Hoang Anh Gia Lai is ready to cover the expenses for foreign referees to officiate their match against Da Nang in Round 24 of the LP Bank V.League 1 – 2024/2025, scheduled for the afternoon of May 23.
Hoang Anh Gia Lai currently sits 8th with 27 points, while Da Nang is at the bottom of the table with 20 points. Both teams are in a tight battle to avoid relegation. This weekend’s match is crucial, potentially impacting the outcome of the season.
As a result, Da Nang has sent a letter to the Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF), requesting the appointment of a reputable, high-level foreign referee team to oversee the match.
Hoang Anh Gia Lai has made a similar request, asking VPF to approve Da Nang’s proposal and committing to cover all costs for the foreign referees traveling to Gia Lai. The mountain city club believes that foreign referees will bring fairness to both teams. “This is our good will, and there is no other intention,” said Nguyen Tan Anh, CEO of Hoang Anh Gia Lai, in a media interview.
Nguyen Minh Ngoc, Head of the V-League Organizing Committee, stated that VPF has received the request and appreciates the proposal from both clubs, but referee assignments are the jurisdiction of the Referee Committee. “Depending on the importance and nature of the match, the Referee Committee will make appropriate decisions,” he said, without revealing the names of the referees for tomorrow’s match at Pleiku Stadium.
With only three rounds left in the LP Bank V.League 1 – 2024/2025, Nam Dinh (48 points) leads the race for the title, closely pursued by Hanoi FC (43 points). Meanwhile, at the bottom of the table and in the playoff spots, Da Nang and Binh Dinh occupy the last two positions. Quang Nam (22 points), Song Lam Nghe An (23 points), Ho Chi Minh FC (25 points), Binh Duong (26 points), and Hoang Anh Gia Lai are still not safe.
In recent rounds, there have been “surprising results” among teams in the relegation zone. In Round 21, Hoang Anh Gia Lai lost to Binh Dinh 1-2, with national team player Chau Ngoc Quang receiving a red card in the 61st minute. In Round 23, the medal-contending team Ha Tinh lost to SLNA 0-1 at home, while Da Nang defeated Quang Nam 1-0 despite being a player down from the 4th minute.
Witnessing these results, football expert Doan Minh Xuong believes that teams seem to be supporting each other in unusual ways. “This situation happened many years ago, and it is repeating itself. If this continues, it will not be good for the development of Vietnamese football,” he commented.
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