Vietnam star footballer banned for eight matches after referee assault

In the seventh round of the 2023 V. League, Hanoi lost 1-3 to Topenland Binh Dinh. After the game, Quyet came to question the referee and made physical contact with assistant referee Nguyen Le Nguyen Thanh. The main referee Nguyen Manh Hai, who stood next to Nguyen, immediately gave Quyet a red card.

Thanh said that Quyet elbowed him in the chest, which led to difficulty breathing.

In the 60th minute, Hai had given Binh Dinh a free kick right next to the box. However, after listening to advice from Thanh, he changed it to a penalty for Binh Dinh.

A day after the incident, Quyet apologized to Thanh on the phone and admitted his behavior on social media.

Aside from an eight-match ban, the 32-year-old forward also had to pay a fine of VND40 million. Quyet received the heaviest suspension because this is not the first time that he assaulted a referee. In 2016, Quyet pushed referee Hoang Pham Cong Khanh to the ground, which resulted in a straight red card and a five-match ban. His name was also crossed out of the call-up list for the national football team.

With this ban, the 2022 Vietnamese Golden Ball winner will have to sit out of seven league games and one National Cup game. This is a disadvantage for Hanoi in the title race when Quyet is currently their top scorer with six goals so far.