March 7 – A Vietnam international defender has been handed what is reported to be record 28-game ban for an horrendous tackle that broke the leg of an opponent in a domestic league match.
Tran Dinh Dong was banned by his national federation for the foul on Nguyen Anh Hung, who is expected to be sidelined for a year.
Dong said he would appeal the verdict which also stipulated he should pay Hung’s medical bills.
“The punishment is meant to be a warning to players throughout the nation, where violent behaviour on the field has gradually become more popular,” the VFF said in a statement.
But Tran’s coach Nguyen Huu Thang said the sentence was handed down under media pressure: “We will appeal because his absence would strongly affect our name and V-League results.”
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