HCM City FC players accost the referee in their match against Hà Nội FC. — Photo thethao247.vn

HÀ NỘI — A former Vietnamese national team star has said the players of today need to smarten up when it comes to how they interact with referees.

Former Thể Công (today's Viettel) defender Nguyễn Mạnh Dũng told zing.vn that while it was understandable for players to be frustrated with match officials, they weren't doing themselves or their teams any favours.

In recent V.League 1 matches, refereeing decisions and subsequent reactions from players and coaches have sparked a great deal of controversy, with the Hà Nội FC-HCM City FC match on July 24 a notable flashpoint. 

The capital side won 3-0 in City's Thống Nhất Stadium on that occasion, but the home team felt they should have won two penalties and even called for the ousting of the country's head referee.

Dũng disagreed with the way the players reacted in recent matches and said the players had to be smarter.

“The reactions come from the players’ normal reaction," he said. 

"They want their team to take advantage in that situation. But it is not a smart move. The overreaction only makes themselves and their teammates feel inhibited and leads to uncontrollable actions," he said

In addition, the former national team player said that managers and teams are responsible for their players' behaviour.

He added: "The overreaction also makes the audience have a bad opinion of the player and the team. It shows that the coaching staff is not training the player well enough.

"We need to remember that the captain is the only one who has the right to comment and react to the referee's decision on the pitch. However, the reaction must not be an overreaction."

The V.League 1 season was again suspended on Sunday due to the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Viet Nam. 

Several lower-ranked teams have proposed ending the season early, but the plea has fallen among deaf ears at the top of the local game and administrators insist they will only cancel the season when asked to by the Government. — VNS