PETALING JAYA: Poor management is one of the reasons that has led to problems in Malaysian football.
Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim (pic), who made a shocking revelation on Wednesday that Pahang and Kedah will not be participating in the Super League for the 2025-2026 season, was blunt in his assessment of the teams.
Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) will play against Pahang in the Malaysia Cup final on April 12 at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
“I’m sad about one thing as we prepare for this final against Pahang,” said Tunku Ismail during a question and answer session with JDT fans in Johor Baru.
“Yes it could be our 30th title (all domestic tournaments), but it will also mean saying goodbye to a good friend, my uncle, Tengku Muda Pahang, and a historic club because they will cease to exist next year because of internal issues.
“Kedah are also a club with a strong history, but will also not be around next season. Who’s at fault?”
Meanwhile, Tunku Ismail said the problem plaguing Malaysian football was mismanagement of funds.
“You have RM10mil, but you spend RM15 mil. I am truly sad.”
He said JDT’s dominance in the Super League – they have won it 11 times in a row – shouldn’t be the reason other clubs should call it quits, citing examples of other clubs dominating their leagues.
“How can the league die? It’s not logical,” he said.
“When Bayern Munich kept winning the league title, did Borussia Dortmund say let’s quit and not play? Paris St Germain kept winning too, did Lyon or Marseille decide to stop playing?
“The league goes on. That is called the professional mindset,” he said.
He said the biggest problem with Malaysian football was the mismanagement, as those in influential positions had no interest or passion in the sport and continued the same problematic pattern that had affected many clubs in the country.
“We have people who are not interested in handling football. They are put there based on popularity and political mileage,” said Tunku Ismail.
“They have no interest or knowledge of football, and that is Malaysia’s problem. I’ve been saying this for over 12 years.
“The floodlights are still yellow, they are still using cow grass, with no proper training facilities, and they promise the players all sorts of things.
“You are killing local football, not JDT,” he said.
