In the world of football, money talks

THERE’s a lull in football action on the field here in Malaysia, but it seems like there’s never a dull moment in the sport.

Tan Cheng Hoe has suddenly shocked Selangor fans and the club, seeking a mutual termination to move to Thailand.

But why? It seems strange that he would want to leave the team that are set to play in the AFC Champions League Two, to coach a side that are mired in a relegation battle.

Some have noted that his move to Thailand was assisted by former Malaysian international and Insa Project Global Group director Kiko Insa.

Ironically, Insa is JDT’s recruitment director, in charge of player and staff transfers.

Thus, theories are going around that the Southern Tigers have triggered the move to destabilise Selangor.

Cheng Hoe, however, has quashed such talk saying it was just an opportunity too hard to refuse.

The former national coach knew what he was up against and was willing to take up the six-month contract.

The timing may have felt off especially when he publicly said that he could not wait for the Super League to start but decided to move on.

Cheng Hoe feels he has what it takes to keep the team in the top division and hopefully extend his stay there or even move on to a bigger club, with some already predicting that JDT could be his future spot.

The cash-rich Johor side have even signed players like Ryan Lambert, Declan Lambert, Azam Azmi Murad and Manuel Hidalgo only to loan them to other clubs.

Declan will return to his former club Kuala Lumpur while Azam is with Terengganu.

Hidalgo, who played for Kedah last year will return to his old club Pahang.

When these teams face JDT, these players can’t play as they are Cup-tied.

But here is the thing, the players are the ones making the choice. They are signing on the dotted line and see their own financial stability in JDT.

Loyalty is just a commodity these days, and you have to pay for it – that is the reality.

A lot of youngsters are going for JDT selections, hoping to become part of the set-up, because the club are stable and like everyone else, they want to go where the top class infrastructure and resources are.

The fans, pundits and even media claim that JDT are making the competition weaker but that’s the reality of professional football.

It’s a dog-eat-dog world and people will do anything to be successful, to get that extra advantage.

All the clubs in the Super League wish that they could have the resources that JDT do. But they don’t – and have to make up for it with passion and patience.

They can close the gap if they spend within their means, do proper scouting and find sponsorship.

Personally, I do hope the Malaysian Football League (MFL) will introduce ‘Financial Fair Play’ soon. It is needed for clubs to stay realistic with their finances, and to prevent clubs to simply “buy” success.

But as things are, JDT will continue to be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come.

As for Cheng Hoe, I hope he makes it as a coach in Thailand and continue coaching overseas for many more years.

When he comes back, he will be all the more richer for it – both in terms of cash and experience.