U11 SLNA stripped of championship: VFF proves age fraud, upholds penalty

This morning (October 11), the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) decided to uphold the penalty imposed on Song Lam Nghe An club for registering and using players who are not of the correct age.

Previously, according to the decision issued on September 9, the SLNA U11 team was fined 10 million VND and banned from participating in football tournaments organized by the VFF for 2 years. The Nghe An team also had its championship title, prize money and medals at the 2024 National U11 tournament revoked. Head of the delegation Tran Quang Dung and coach Nguyen Quang Tho were banned from participating in tournaments managed and organized by the VFF for 2 years.

SLNA team was stripped of the championship title.

Song Lam Nghe An Club then appealed the disciplinary decisions. The team affirmed that it had fully complied with the tournament regulations regarding player records. In the appeal, SLNA affirmed that the team, the team leader, and the coach were not at fault. The club also attached relevant documents.

In the decision issued this morning (October 11), VFF announced the grounds proving SLNA's violations. Conclusion of

Based on the records provided by the club, the organizing committee determined that player Bui Van Bao was born on February 8, 2013, in accordance with the tournament regulations, and was allowed to participate in the competition. However, when the tournament took place, the organizing committee and representatives of 13 teams (out of a total of 16 participating teams) discovered signs of suspicion regarding the age of this player. Therefore, the organizing committee verified the player's records according to the correct authority.

The results of the national data and birth registration book search at the People's Committee confirmed that Bui Van Bao's information matches the competition registration file. However, according to the information in the file, archived documents, and Party Committee Book at Dau Lieu Primary and Secondary School (Hong Linh Town, Ha Tinh Province), student Bui Van Bao was born on February 8, 2010. The demographic file stored at the Hong Linh Town Police Department's residence archive, Ha Tinh Province, has information that citizen Bui Van Bao was born on February 8, 2010.

"The results of the inspection and verification show that there is a discrepancy in the year of birth of this player, which is not consistent with the age registered by Song Lam Nghe An club to compete," the Vietnam Football Federation's Complaints Resolution Board stated in its decision on October 11.

Song Lam Nghe An Club is the unit that submitted the registration documents to participate in the tournament for the players to compete. Therefore, the team, coach and team leaders are responsible for discipline.

VFF reiterated the Disciplinary Regulations and tournament rules, which include: "During the tournament, teams with players found to have cheated on their age will be disqualified from the tournament. The results of matches between teams and this team will be canceled. The team, coach, and team leaders will receive disciplinary action from the Vietnam Football Federation."

If there are signs of forgery or counterfeiting that violate criminal law, it is necessary and possible to transfer the case file to the investigation agency of the Ministry of Public Security.

Xiao Ming

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/u11-slna-bi-tuoc-chuc-vo-dich-vff-chung-minh-gian-lan-tuoi-giu-nguyen-an-phat-ar901304.html