Police on Thursday issued an emergency detention order for Le Sy Manh, a former Vietnam international, to investigate allegations of assaulting a referee during an amateur football tournament in Ho Chi Minh City last month.

Police in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City detained Manh on charges of disrupting public order.

On December 23, 2024, a video showing Manh kicking and punching a referee named Pham Van Nguyen went viral on social media.

Manh was a member of the Thanh Hoa City senior team who played against the Nga Son senior team at an amateur football tourney on December 22, 2024.

After the referee gave Manh a yellow card for his foul, Manh slapped the referee in the face.

The referee then issued a red card.

Infuriated by his red card, Manh kicked Nguyen in the side and punched him in the face.

Manh, who was born in 1984 in north-central Thanh Hoa Province, was a Vietnamese international from 2009 to 2010.

In Vietnam, some of the professional clubs he played for include Hanoi T&T, Vissai Ninh Binh, FLC Thanh Hoa, Quang Nam, Xuan Thanh Sai Gon, and Hai Phong.

The detention order for Manh underscores Ho Chi Minh City police's commitment to addressing violent and unlawful behavior that endangers others' lives and health, often over trivial disputes during traffic activities, festivals, or sports events.

Authorities have urged residents to resolve conflicts lawfully, stressing that violence only escalates issues further.

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