KUALA LUMPUR: The issue of financial problems affecting the salary payments of players and officials has the potential to jeopardise the Malaysian Football League’s (MFL) plans to maintain the number of teams competing in the Super League next season.
This was acknowledged by MFL chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Stuart Ramalingam who considered the Super League structure with the participation of 14 teams at the moment to be the best ever implemented.
Taking into account the issue of financial problems faced by teams, which is again a hot topic, Stuart said the MFL will do anything, including reducing the number of teams competing in order to maintain the image of the league.
“This season’s league competition was supposed to have 16 teams but Melaka United and Sarawak United were eliminated due to their internal problems.“So if an issue arises, we (MFL) will have to reduce to 13 teams (next season), if it has to happen, it has to happen,” said Stuart, who wants as many as 14 teams to remain in the competition next season.
Meanwhile, Stuart confirmed that Kedah were one of the teams currently in a financial knot.
He praised the initiative of the Canaries’ owner Tan Sri Mohd Daud Bakar who had the courage to come forward on Sunday to explain the financial problems faced by the team, which resulted in outstanding salary payments for players and officials since August.
According to Stuart, he had also held a meeting with Kedah chief executive officer Khamal Idris Ali recently to discuss how to help the two-time Super League champions.
“Kedah are not repeat offenders, we will give space to the team to solve this problem internally,” said the former secretary-general of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). — Bernama
