The Vietnamese Professional Football JSC is considering hiring foreign referees for the V-League following various disputes caused by local referees this season.

Many disputes have been caused by referees in the V-League

In February, Long An FC lost 5-2 to HCM City FC after a controversial 80th-minute penalty decision by referee Nguyen Trong Thu. 

Long An's players walked off the field in protest, only later returning to the field, but refusing to play properly. 

The subsequent penalty was scored with the Long An goalkeeper facing away from the penalty-taker. 

Round 12 of V-League was notable for the dispute between Hoang Anh Gia Lai and FLC Thanh Hoa caused by various decisions by referee Tran Xuan Nguyen. 

He had refused two penalties for Hoang Anh Gia Lai near the end of the match. 

In addition, he and his assistant changed their mind after recognising the third goal of Hoang Anh Gia Lai. In the end, Hoang Anh Gia Lai lost 2-3 to FLC Thanh Hoa.

Nguyen had been criticised by the referee board for plenty of mistakes some of which were serious and could have altered the final result of the matches.

Duong Van Hien, deputy head of the referee board said they would promote young referees work at the league to replace older officials. 

Hien said they had potential and had proper training.

The other option was to hire foreign referees. 

If the local referees keep failing to garner trust from the teams and supporters, the board may start hiring new referees for the play-offs. 

The VPF may also approve the plan to hire foreign referees if necessary.

dtinews