AFC officially imposes heavy penalty on V-League foreign player

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) officially imposes a heavy penalty on Leonardo Artur De Melo of CAHN Club following a serious foul in AFC Champions League Two.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially issued disciplinary action against Leonardo Artur De Melo (Leo Artur), a foreign player of Hanoi Police Club, after a serious foul incident in continental competition. This decision quickly drew attention as it directly involves a player currently competing in V-League.

The incident occurred during the match between CAHN and Tampines Rovers in the AFC Champions League Two 2025/2026 knockout round on February 18th. According to the referee's report, the Brazilian midfielder committed a serious foul, resulting in immediate ejection from the field.

Based on current disciplinary regulations, Leonardo Artur De Melo will receive a total suspension of 2 subsequent matches in AFC-organized club competitions. This is a relatively severe penalty, reflecting the dangerous nature of the foul committed by this player.

Not limited to suspension, the CAHN squad player is also fined $1,500 USD. This amount must be paid within 30 days from the effective date of the decision, as per AFC Disciplinary Committee regulations.

Notably, the penalty for Leo Artur is not confined to continental competition. Earlier, this player was also suspended in V-League by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and VPF Company. Specifically, he was suspended from the rescheduled Round 10 match between CAHN and Thanh Hoa, based on current domestic disciplinary regulations.

According to AFC practice, red card penalties typically apply only within competitions managed by the organization. However, Vietnamese football has a specific mechanism allowing disciplinary actions to be transferred to domestic leagues in certain cases, ensuring deterrence and consistency in player management.