Thanh Hoa's coach did not make it into the top 3 because of a penalty card
"Coach Popov proved his expertise when leading Thanh Hoa last season. However, voting for the best coach in V-League has many criteria," a representative of the V-League 2023 organizing committee shared with MetaSports. . "He lost some points because he received five yellow cards last season and at the same time received a suspension from directing."
Coach Popov came to Thanh Hoa before the 2023 season, helping the team quickly "transform". Even though they did not have too strong a force, they became a phenomenon when they were undefeated in the first 10 rounds, and it was not until round 12 that they lost the top spot in the table against the competition of the rich team CAHN. In the end, the Thanh team finished in fourth place with just one point less than the bronze medal position of Viettel, the opponent they defeated in the penalty shootout in the National Cup final.
Initially, Popov was in the top 5 candidates for the title of best coach of V-League 2023. However, when voting was shortened to the top 3, he failed due to many points being deducted. Due to receiving three yellow cards, he had to sit in the stands to direct the 2-0 win over Binh Dinh in the third round of phase II on July 27. In addition, the Bulgarian military leader also received two more yellow cards.
The three coaches in the final round of the race for the best coach title of the season are Mr. Bozidar Bandovic - the leader with Hanoi FC who finished second, only behind the CAHN champion in goal difference - defeat, coach Thach Bao Khanh of Viettel and the coach. Chu Dinh Nghiem - the person who helped Hai Phong finish in sixth place despite limited investment.
The members who voted for the top 3 and the titles for the above awards were the Organizing Committee and members of the National Coach Council. The winner will be announced tonight, August 31, during the award closing Gala.
Similar to coach Popov, striker Nguyen Van Quyet was also not included in the top 3 candidates for the Best Player of the Season award despite being the domestic player with the most goals (9) and most assists (9). The reason is that the captain of Hanoi FC received an eight-match disciplinary sentence when he clashed with the assistant referee in the loss to Binh Dinh in round 7 of phase I.
