Owner suspends Vietnam football club over alleged match-fixing in Asia

The club owner Hoang Manh Truong also instructed that Vissai Ninh Binh voluntarily withdraw from the ongoing 2014 V-League, where they are in third place from the bottom.

“We have submitted documents to the Vietnam Professional Football, asking for a temporary withdrawal for investigation over the match-fixing to get underway,” club chairman Pham Van Le told Tuoi Tre on Thursday.

The Vietnam Professional Football operates both the top-flight V-League and the First Division.

Le said the players have been under scrutiny since their 1-1 draw against Hong Kong’s South China during their Group G game at the 2014 AFC Cup on April 8.

“Their previous matches at the 2014 AFC Cup and 2014 V-League are also believed to be rigged,” the chairman added.

Le succeeded Tuong to be the Vissai Ninh Binh chairman in late 2012, but the former remains an influential figure at the club as the main sponsor.

Despite their 3-1 away victory in the first-leg, Vissai Ninh Binh had to struggle in the second-leg game with South China on home soil and only managed to snatch back one point with a late equalizer.

This is seen as the last straw for the club managers to launch a probe.

At the 2014 V-League, Vissai Ninh Binh have earned merely seven points after eight matches, ranking 11 out of 13 in the table.

Nearly $40,000 for match-fixing?

Citing sources, local newswire Dan Tri reported Friday that 13 players of Vissai Ninh Binh have admitted to taking VND800 million (US$37,736) in bribes to fix another group stage game with Malaysia’s Kelantan FA at the 2014 AFC Cup on March 18.

The Vietnamese club beat their Malaysian rivals 3-2 and the above players allegedly received the bribes, the newswire said.

These players include famous national squad members like goalie Manh Dung, defender Phuoc Tu, and striker Van Thang.

Vietnamese police have probed the case and “more than a dozen of players have been summoned for investigation,” Vissai Ninh Binh boss Truong confirmed to Tuoi Tre in an interview on Friday.

Tuong said he “could not stand anymore” when some of his players have played dishonest and unenthusiastic football and thus dismayed their supporters.

“Such a playing attitude have happened at both the V-League and AFC Cup,” he admitted.

But the boss refused to elaborate on the names of those under investigation.

“I am not allowed to do so.

“But many of them are favorite players of coach Nguyen Van Sy, in whom he has put a lot of trust,” he added.

Tuong said he is not sure what the future of the club will hold, but he will “never compromise with football corruption.”

“As the investigation is going on, I cannot reveal anything to the press,” he said.

Under the Vietnamese football law, Vissai Ninh Binh will have all of their results at the 2014 V-League voided following their withdrawal. The club will be relegated to the Third Division and pay a VND100 million ($4,717) fine.

Meanwhile, coach Nguyen Van Sy dismissed the accusation that his players received VND800 million to cheat their supporters.

“It’s just a rumor and cannot be viewed as official information without verification from the investigators,” he told Tuoi Tre.