PETALING JAYA: With less than two months to go before the new Super League season kicks off on Aug 8, two of the league’s heavyweights, Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) and Selangor are ramping up their pre-season preparations abroad.
As expected, 11-time reigning champions JDT have opted for another ambitious pre-season campaign, this time setting up base in Spain.
The Southern Tigers’ new head coach Xisco Munoz will get an early chance to assess his squad, with friendlies lined up against La Liga side Levante and Welsh outfit Cardiff City.
“JDT will play Welsh club Cardiff City FC during the Southern Tigers’ pre-season camp in Spain from July 3-22.
“Having last week announced JDT’s friendly against Levante UD during the pre-season, the Southern Tigers will be announcing more matches in Spain soon,” the club said in a statement posted on social media.
JDT have already bolstered their squad with several new signings, including Malaysian international Jon Irzabal and Spanish midfielder Hector Hevel.
Selangor, meanwhile, have picked Bangkok as their pre-season destination. Head coach Katsuhito Kinoshi confirmed that five friendly matches have been arranged, providing an ideal platform to test players and fine-tune strategies for the upcoming season.
So far, the Red Giants have made just one foreign signing in former Muangthong United midfielder Picha Autra, while retaining several key players from last season.
“I will give all the players a chance to play. This is the best opportunity for them to show what they can do. We need to develop better combinations in the matches we will play there,” said Kinoshi.
