V.League 1 matches to be held behind closed doors due to COVID-19 fears
VOV.VN - Fixtures taking place as part of the 12th round of matches in the V.League 1 are set to be played behind closed doors on May 5, including the clash between hosts Hanoi FC and Saigon FC at the Hang Day Stadium, as part of efforts to combat COVID-19.
As the current situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic is developing in a complicated manner across the country, actions are being taken with the aim of curbing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus among the community, as announced on April 30 by Hanoi FC on their website.
This comes after it was announced that the game between hosts Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) FC and Binh Duong FC at the Pleiku stadium won’t take place in front of any spectators on May 2.
During the 12th round of matches in the V.League 1, all matches will kick off at 5 p.m. on May 2.
The tournament’s organisers have since updated the new schedule of the 13th round in line with the current national situation. Indeed, matches in the 13th round will now be played on May 7 instead of May 9.
So far the 2021 season of the V.League 1 has seen four matches played without supporters. Most notably, the third round of games was cancelled for more than one month due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, before resuming on March 13.
According to the Vietnam Football Federation’s (VFF) plan, following the 13th round of fixtures, the season will pause for footballers to represent the Vietnamese national men’s football team in the qualifying round for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).