The chairman of the Vietnam Football Federation has vowed to investigate and address violations after some players were arrested for their alleged involvement in a match-fixing scandal.
Chairman of Vietnam Football Federation Le Hung Dung
It was reported on July 21 that the Police Department for Investigation of Social Order-Related Crimes (C45) detained five individuals accused of betting and match-fixing while they were playing in the V-League. On July 20, four players from Dong Nai FC were also detained for fixing the results of the match between Dong Nai FC and Than Quang Ninh FC.
Further investigations led by police from C45 seemed to indicate that the problem is widespread within the league and involves several other players. Chairman of Vietnam Football Federation Le Hung Dung said the recent arrests were not isolated cases, but part of a larger investigation.
"Since news broke of the Ninh Binh FC match-fixing scandal at the AFC Cup we have co-operated with the police to scrutinise all the football clubs so that we can put a stop to gambling and match-fixing in the V-League. We don't intend to show leniency. We'll deal with VFF officials or Vietnam Professional Football Company if it turns out they have committed wrongdoings," he said.
When asked why the match-fixing problem is endemic to Vietnam even though a number of players have been sent to prison for such activities, Dung said that the amounts of money that can potentially be made are just too much for some to resist. According to him, it quite ineffective to appeal to players' morality.
"From now on, we'll fight wrongdoings with hi-tech methods and better collaboration with law enforcement. Offenders must take full responsibility and be dealt with swiftly and decisively," he said.
