Coach Popov and 8 Controversial Statements That Caused a Stir in V-League

During his over four-year tenure in Vietnam, Coach Velizar Popov has accumulated 13 yellow cards, 2 red cards, and has frequently faced sanctions from the VFF Disciplinary Committee. His most recent comments after the draw between Cong An TP.HCM Club and The Cong Viettel are set to trigger another disciplinary measure against the Bulgarian tactician.

Currently, VPF Company is finalizing the documents to submit to the VFF Disciplinary Board for review and action against Coach Velizar Popov (The Cong Viettel) following the 1-1 draw between Cong An TP.HCM and The Cong Viettel in round 25 of the LPBank V-League 2025/26.

Specifically, during the post-match press conference, Coach Popov stated: "In this match, they didn't want us to win. It's that simple. Who will give us back the two points from the draw with PVF-CAND? The referee did his job well and got his reward."

"Every point The Cong earns is an achievement against this competition system. We all know where the orders or instructions come from. I cannot fight against that system."

"That system works against us every week. I can't even count how many points have been 'robbed' from us. I've stopped counting. Everything is terrible. I will leave this place and never come back. I don't want to be part of this anymore."

Before this controversial remark directly targeting the tournament organizers and Vietnam's professional football management system, Coach Popov has previously sparked major debates multiple times.

After The Cong Viettel's 2-1 comeback victory over SHB Da Nang in round 7 of the LPBank V-League 2025/26, the Bulgarian coach criticized the prevalent time-wasting tactics in many V-League matches.

He stated: "If things remain like this for the next 2-3 years, Vietnamese football will lose to Nepal, Cambodia, or Bangladesh. It doesn't matter if you are the strongest team or not."

"To become champions, you need other factors off the pitch, and I think everyone understands what I'm referring to. We are alone, not part of any system. Going against 13 other teams by ourselves is very difficult."

In round 11, after the draw with SLNA, Coach Popov again spoke about refereeing: "I want everyone to review that situation and show me where the foul was. VAR intervention means the main referee should reconsider his decision. But this is the first time I've seen a main referee disagree with VAR."

He also recalled the time he was sent off by referee Le Vu Linh at Thong Nhat Stadium: "I was punished while trying to shout and instruct my players. I wasn't surprised. He's a professional killer."

During his tenure leading Dong A Thanh Hoa Club, Coach Velizar Popov frequently expressed his personal views on social media and in press conferences, showing dissatisfaction with the tournament organization and the quality of refereeing management.

With his latest remarks concerning refereeing after round 25 of the LPBank V-League 2025/26, Coach Popov may face a ban from coaching for 5 to 8 matches, along with a corresponding fine as per regulations.

The VFF Disciplinary Board is expected to meet and announce a decision on June 2nd.