PETALING JAYA: Kedah hope to recapture the glory days of their double treble era by including several of their legendary players in coaching and managerial roles.
Nelson San Martin is the pick of the bunch as the former Chilean midfielder will take on the role of technical director, in charge of scouting for young players around the state and also enhancing coaching education.
Baddrol Bakhtiar, who is now a politician in the state, will be managing Kedah B, who are playing in the MFL Cup.
Then there is former midfielder Ahmad Fauzi Saari, who is the coordinator of the Super League team.
The club’s majority stakeholder and owner Tan Sri Daud Bakar believes that bringing these former players in will help inspire the club to great heights.
“The experience and expertise will be telling as we look to recapture the glory days. I believe these men will help us unearth young talents for the future and ensure sustainable growth for the state,” he said.
They, however, need to cut down 35 percent of their budget allocation from last year to ensure the club’s financial sustainability.
The Canaries had to deal with salary arrears issues last season but they have decided to be more realistic in setting their goals this season.
“This new season is different as it involves a contract period of between 14 to 15 months, thus having a different effect on our financial planning compared to previous seasons,” said Daud.
“We are looking at settling all the arrears by March 29 or 30. I want to apologise and also thank the players and staff for their patience and faith.
“We will follow the conditions set by MFL (Malaysian Football League).’’
Daud said the club intend to remain top four in the Super League and hopefully qualify for the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and Malaysia Cup.
