Duc Chien and the lesson of player conduct: 'We will meet again many times'

26/12/2025 16:10:00 TrophyTracker

Until now, probably few recall who said this, where, and under what conditions. Naturally, it was within the football world...

During the 6th round of the 2010 V-League at Cao Lanh stadium, due to the decision to grant the home team Dong Thap a throw-in after Hanoi T&T’s (the former name of Hanoi FC) attack was interrupted in the final minutes, captain Le Cong Vinh kowtowed to referee Vu Bao Linh.

"I was shocked when Cong Vinh kowtowed, almost worshiping me in front of tens of thousands of fans and millions watching the match on television," the Quang Ninh-born referee recalled that moment.

Of course, referee Vu Bao Linh did not hesitate to issue a yellow card to the star striker of Vietnamese football at that time for the foul. Hanoi FC led by Vinh lost 1-2 overall, and at the end, Vinh approached Mr. Linh whispering: "We will meet many more times."

Furthermore, Le Cong Vinh even threatened to retire if punished by the VFF Disciplinary Committee for the incident at Cao Lanh. Ultimately, the committee lightly penalized him with a 6-match suspension (later reduced to 3) and a 10 million VND fine for the Hanoi striker.

Shortly after the disciplinary action, during a training session with his main club, Cong Vinh suffered a serious injury, requiring surgery and physical therapy in Europe (Portugal). Therefore, he barely contributed to the historic first V-League championship of the Hang Day stadium team that year.

After his contract ended in 2011, Cong Vinh unexpectedly moved to another Hanoi club, Hanoi ACB, an event that drew significant media coverage. This was unlike the reverse move when Thanh Luong switched from Hanoi ACB to Hanoi T&T after the 2012 season.

Cong Vinh stayed silent even when owner Bau Kien was arrested, and the striker began a "nomadic" career: returning to his old club SLNA, playing in Japan, then moving back to Binh Duong...

Recently, Duc Chien made unpleasant remarks targeting his former club, although this midfielder was once a key player for The Cong Viettel club. Photo: Hoang Linh

Throughout his professional career, Le Cong Vinh had numerous conflicts and verbal slip-ups with match officials. The line between the desire to win and aggression is very thin. As club captain and a star from a young age, his ego was extremely high.

After retirement, Le Cong Vinh experienced various roles and is now studying to become a coach, obtaining professional football certificates and attending a Football Management course at a university. Meanwhile, Mr. Vu Bao Linh, after retiring from refereeing, returned to work as a sports manager at the Department and as a supervisor. Naturally, they still occasionally meet as promised years ago.

After many twists and challenges, the striker from Nghe An realized that silence is the pinnacle of wisdom, along with humility and gratitude. Without football, Cong Vinh would not be who he is today, from receiving an uncertified Chinese Wave motorbike as a prize at the 2003 U21 National Championship in An Giang, to a life of luxury, setbacks, controversies, and comebacks.

Cong Vinh’s story is not only a warning for younger generations of players but also a reminder for those who have worked, are working, or will work in football.

Duc Chien scores against his former club, making the V-League championship race thrilling

Recently, Duc Chien’s statements on his personal page, the national team midfielder and Ninh Binh club player, hinting at his former club The Cong Viettel, have not been widely supported, including by his former coaches, media, and fans. Chien is no longer young (28 years old) nor a star like Cong Vinh was 15 years ago (three-time Vietnamese Golden Ball winner), yet even an ordinary person would not speak so carelessly.

The elders taught: "If you slip, you catch a branch / If you blurt out, where will you catch now?"

Football is only a tiny part of society, even minuscule. Will Duc Chien and the people of The Cong Viettel still meet?

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