PETALING JAYA: It’s a fresh start for Kuala Lumpur for the upcoming Super League season as Miroslav Kuljanac takes over the reins as head coach.
After Croatian Nenad Bacina’s shocking departure from the club, City Boys chief executive officer Stanley Bernard Samuel said Kuljanac is next in line to take over the hot seat.
“He (Kuljanac) had taken over two matches last season and we think he has the pedigree to lead the club in the current situation that we are in. When we brought in Hodak, Bacina was his number two. The assistant coach needs to be ready anytime to take over the top seat, and it’s the same thing with Kuljanac,” said Stanley when met at an event at the Kuala Lumpur Stadium.
Troubled times for the City Boys seem to be coming to an end as the new head coach announcement comes together with news that their salary arrears have a solution in sight.
Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil, who is also Kuala Lumpur’s patron, said the salary arrears faced by players would be settled promptly even though the deadline for the first payment was on Friday (March 15).
Fahmi said that he, Stanley, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa, and Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Kamarulzaman Mat Salleh had decided to speed up some processes to settle the payments.
“I have asked the mayor to contact the Malaysian Football League (MFL) to state the Kuala Lumpur City Council’s (DBKL) commitment to settle this issue,” said Fahmi, the Communications Minister.
“Things are in motion, but DBKL and MFL have their own processes and we will do what is needed to settle the debts to the players.
“We want to make sure that the team are ready when the season starts and hopefully things will be settled as soon as possible.”
With the new Super League season set to kick off on May 3, Stanley said all the debts will be solved before the players take to the pitch.
“There is about seven weeks before the season starts, and that is a good duration for the players’ conditioning. “We want the players to start the season with the guarantee that the debts will be solved,” said Stanley.
