VFF imposes a severe disciplinary sanction on the coach who once led Vietnam to the World Cup

Coach Đinh Văn Dũng, who played a key role in securing Vietnam U20's spot at the 2017 U20 World Cup finals, has just been sanctioned by VFF.

On December 29, the Disciplinary Committee of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) announced strict penalties related to violations at the 2025/26 National U19 Championship. The main focus fell on Coach Đinh Văn Dũng of the U19 Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh team, a renowned figure in Vietnamese youth football, who has been handed a long-term ban from coaching.

Specifically, according to Decision No. 1249, Mr. Đinh Văn Dũng was fined 7,500,000 VND and suspended from duties for the next 6 matches. This heavy penalty resulted from his deliberate physical contact with a referee during the match between U19 Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh and U19 Sông Lam Nghệ An on December 27. This incident occurred during the 2025/2026 National U19 qualifying round. Assistant coach Nguyễn Anh Cường was also punished with a 2-match ban and a fine of 1,250,000 VND for protesting against the referee.

This incident shocked the professional community as Coach Đinh Văn Dũng is a well-known name. He is a veteran who once mentored the "golden generation" including players like Phạm Văn Quyến, Lê Công Vinh, and Phan Như Thuật.

Notably, his greatest achievement was as a member of the coaching staff for Vietnam’s U19 team that reached the semifinals of the 2016 AFC U19 Championship, directly earning a historic spot at the 2017 U20 World Cup. It is deeply regrettable that such a highly experienced and successful youth coach would exhibit such a lack of restraint.

This punishment will cause significant disruption to U19 Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh’s coaching setup. Mr. Dũng will miss the qualifying matches on December 29, December 31, 2025, and January 6, 2026. If the team advances to the finals, he will be banned for the first three matches there as well. Should the team be eliminated early, the remaining three-match suspension will apply to future national competitions under VFF’s jurisdiction.

This serves as a warning about conduct culture on the field, even for seasoned strategists. A coach who once elevated Vietnamese football to the global stage receiving a penalty for physically confronting a referee leaves a disappointing image for this year’s youth tournament.