AirAsia FC change name to Petaling Jaya Rangers

SEPANG: The AirAsia Football Club will be known as Petaling Jaya Rangers (PJ Rangers).

As part of the club’s re-branding, the team will be playing their home matches for the 2017 FAM Cup season at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Stadium.

Club chairman and AirAsia Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said that the team’s target “is to win promotion” to the second-tier Premier League in 2018.

“We reached the semi-finals of the FAM Cup this year.

“So, we expect to win promotion in our next attempt ... and I believe we have a good team to reach that target,” said Tony after announcing the signing of 22 new players for the new season.

Former international Mat Zan Mat Aris has been appointed head coach and the former Malacca trainer has roped in several seasoned hands – including Tuah Iskandar (Johor Darul Ta’zim II), Fahrul Razi Kamaruddin (Kuala Lumpur) and six players from Malacca – to bolster the squad.

PJ Rangers also unveiled an exclusive partnership with English Championship side Queens Park Rangers (QPR) to start a football academy here.

The academy will be used to nurture and train the next generation of footballers to play in the top flight of Malaysian football.

QPR will lend their expertise in training the players, local coaches and staff.