VietNamNet Bridge – After Vice Chair Nguyen Duc Kien of the Vietnam Professional Football Company (VPF) was arrested, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and VPF held an urgent meeting.

Nguyen Duc Kien.

VFF Chair Nguyen Trong Hy said the meeting was necessary because Kien is VPF’s Vice Chair and owns two football clubs at the V-League and the First Division Tournament.

Hy and officials of the VPF said they were shocked of Kien’s arrest but they confirmed that the event does not make impacts on VPF’s operation.

VFF and VPF’s officials said they would try their best to maintain stability of Vietnam’s football.

Members of Kien’s Hanoi Football Club and Hanoi Youth Football Club refused to make comment on the case. However, all footballers and coaches of the two FCs expressed their worry.

Hanoi FC’s coach Hoa Manh Hung said his concern is the salary and bonus for players and especially the team’s future.

A player of Hanoi FC said: “My contract with the club will expire in several years but if the FC is dissolved because of Mr. Kien’s arrest, we would like to seek our future at other FCs rather than waiting for a new boss.”

Hanoi FC’s captain Pham Thanh Luong said: “I’ve been a member of this FC for nearly ten years. I’ve experienced many ups and downs with the team but I’ve never been worried like this. I do not know about our future after this shaking event.”

VFF Chair Hy said that VFF and VPF would have other meetings to seek solutions for Kien’s two FCs. Kien’s mission at VPF will be temporarily covered by others.

VPF’s Chair Vo Quoc Thang said that Kien holds only 3.9 percent (VND1 billion - $47,600) of VPF’s chartered capital  so his arrest would not affect the company.

"The company is run by the executive board of directors. Besides Kien, there are other shareholders including 28 football clubs from the V-League and First Division, and representatives from the VFF," Thang added.

VFF Deputy Chairman Le Hung Dung shared the same view, saying that the arrest would not affect national football, but would cause disruption at Kien's clubs.

Kien was named sport's person of the year in 2011 after dropping a so-called ‘bomb' at the V-League's end-of-year meeting, where he revealed mistakes and shortcomings of football officials, referees and players which had existed for many years.

He also took the initiative and revolutionised football in Viet Nam by establishing the VPF to manage the national leagues last December.

He then fought Audio Video Global Company for the television broadcasting rights to the national leagues, which he said would bring more benefits to both viewers and clubs under the VPF.

Using his business contacts, Kien founded a board of 10 large national enterprises who pledged to support the development of national football.

On Sunday, two days before he was arrested, Kien was on the bench watching his players battle to avoid relegation on the final day of the season, and they did with a 5-0 win over Hai Phong.

Compiled by S. Tung