Coach Vu Tien Thanh criticized his colleagues

In the 36th minute, Ho Chi Minh City player Victor Mansaray collided and hurt Gustavo Santos. Host coach Popov was disgruntled, went close to the touchline and confronted the away team's striker. Seeing that, coach Vu Tien Thanh and his associates also ran to react, causing players on both sides to intervene. Referee Razlan Joffri took almost a minute to get the situation under control.

"The attitude of Coach Popov is not professional," Thanh said after the match at Thanh Hoa Stadium on the evening of April 17. "Mansaray was not at fault, but he rushed to attack. I think it was Popov's anger because I know Mansaray gets angry easily."

This controversy is also considered the reason why the two coaches did not shake hands after the match. "I am a guest, the host must receive it," replied Mr. Thanh. "Shake hands or not, the host must take the initiative."

Meanwhile, Coach Popov asserted that Mansaray had an act of destroying Santos, so he was angry. The Bulgarian military leader confirmed that he was not bothered with the comments of his colleague Vu Tien Thanh, but only focused on directing the match. "We talked for about three minutes before the game, but we weren't close friends to talk much," Popov said. "I can ask for the coach's phone number on the HCM side to discuss further."

The match at Thanh Hoa Stadium ended with a 5-3 victory for the home team. According to coach Popov, his team could have scored 10 goals if not missed the opportunity. Meanwhile, coach Vu Tien Thanh admits to losing his mind. He said: "Because we conceded the first goal, we had to move forward to create an open game. Thanh Hoa counter-attacked well, and this was a good match."

The victory helped Thanh Hoa rise to the top of the V-League 2023 with 17 points, three points more than the team behind Hanoi FC. Ho Chi Minh City Club ranked 12th with four points, one point more than the bottom two teams of Da Nang and Binh Duong.