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Thứ bảy, 30/11/2024

Vietnam football league postponed to April

Thứ ba, 17/03/2020 17:30 (GMT+7)
Amelia
BTV Thể thao

Vietnam's topflight football league, V. League 1, has been postponed after two rounds because of the worsening Covid-19 epidemic situation.

"The Vietnam Football Joint Stock Company (VPF) decided to cancel V. League 1 matches during the rest of March to ensure safety," Tran Anh Tu, its chairman and general director, said on Sunday.

The next round of matches was scheduled for later this week before the national team gather to prepare for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. FIFA has agreed to postpone the Asian qualifiers in March and June.

HCMC FC (red and white) play Thanh Hoa in a V. League 1 match in the empty Thong Nhat Stadium in HCMC, March 15, 2020. Photo by VnExpress
HCMC FC (red and white) play Thanh Hoa in a V. League 1 match in the empty Thong Nhat Stadium in HCMC, March 15, 2020. Photo by VnExpress

Clubs earlier played the first two rounds of the V. League behind closed doors. Stadium managers had to check players, support staff and referees’ temperatures before the match to prevent the risk of infection.

The league is scheduled to resume on April 10, and, based on the Covid-19 situation then, the VPF will decide whether to open the gates to spectators or continue playing without them.

On Friday the VPF also announced the postponement of the first two rounds of the V. League 2, the second division. A new schedule will be announced by the end of March.

The pandemic has affected football around the world, especially Europe, where all national leagues have been suspended. In Southeast Asia, the Thai League has been postponed indefinitely.  ​

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