Vietnam’s football federation said Friday it had banned fans of the football club that recently signed former Brazilian international star Denilson from attending away matches.

The federation said it was “banning fans of Hai Phong Cement to come to guest stadiums to cheer” for their team.

Citing the explosion of firecrackers, it said the fans’ misbehavior was “systematic, extremely dangerous and undermined the international image of Vietnamese football.”

The fans’ latest outburst came in Hanoi Wednesday night when police used dogs and electric batons to disperse the visiting Hai Phong supporters after their side’s latest loss, VietNamNet news website reported.

The report said fans fired flares during the match and later fought with the police.

Denilson, signed this month by Hai Phong, did not play Wednesday night and has reportedly said he is injured - even before starting for his new team.

On home ground in the port city of Hai Phong Sunday, fans burned stadium seats and threw objects on to the pitch, in displeasure at Denilson’s absence from the match, in which the team suffered another defeat.

Source: AFP