PETALING JAYA: Kuala Lumpur are closing in on a new head coach, with decorated veteran Datuk Dollah Salleh understood to be the frontrunner for the position.
It is learnt that players have been summoned for a meeting on June 23 (Tuesday), where they are expected to be introduced to their new coach.
A source close to the club confirmed that former national coach Dollah is the man in line to take charge.
”We have called the players for a meeting today (on Tuesday) to meet Dollah and listen to his plans for the season.
"He will decide on the players he wants and chart the direction for next season," said the source, who has close ties to the management team.
The legend was the Football Association of Malaysia’s vice-president, albeit a short while, when he was appointed May last year but quit in January this year.
"He was also the deputy technical director of the National Football Development Program (NFDP) for a short while.
Dollah seemed to be the right choice following the departure of Bosnian coach Risto Vidakovic, whose exit came as little surprise.
Vidakovic had been briefly stood down by the club last season and was openly critical of the management’s shortcomings, including persistent salary delays and inadequate training facilities.
Dollah’s potential arrival signals a deliberate shift in approach.
The club are clearly seeking an experienced tactician with the man-management acumen to bring stability to a squad that desperately needs it.
A former national player with more than 80 caps, Dollah launched his coaching career in 2003, guiding Selangor MPPJ to the Malaysia Cup title before adding the Premier League and Charity Shield the following year.
He stepped up to Selangor in 2005 and delivered a remarkable treble, the Premier League, FA Cup and Malaysia Cup, before departing in 2008.
Spells at Shahzan Muda (2008–2009) and Pahang (2010–2013) followed, with the latter yielding a Malaysia Cup title.
He then steered Police to the Premier League crown in 2014.
His appointment as national team head coach later that year brought him to the biggest stage, leading Harimau Malaya to the AFF Suzuki Cup final in 2014.
After a stint with Perlis (2015–2016), Dollah returned to Pahang from 2017 to 2021, adding the 2018 FA Cup to an already impressive collection.
A coach with pedigree, trophies and two decades of authority, Kuala Lumpur may well have found their man.
