Solid as rock: The Kuala Lumpur players gather for a team bonding session at Ulu Yam. – Photo by Giancarlo Gallifuoco
PETALING JAYA: It was like a dagger to their hearts. The Kuala Lumpur players had worked so hard to keep the team up among the best, despite the erratic manner in which they were getting their salaries.
Then, Malaysian Football League (MFL) slapped the club with a a six-point deduction for discrepancies caused by their management, plunging the team from fourth place to 10th in the league.
They had managed 11 points from six games and now have only five, with a mountain to climb to get back into the reckoning.
Midfielder D. Kenny Pallraj, one of the seniors in the team, said they were shocked with the heavy penalty but would plod on.
“The players do not deserve this because, despite the financial situation, we have been professional with the way we carried ourselves for the club,” said the 31-year-old.
“We played for the badge and showed that no problems can bring us down when we are on the football field.”
“It was not easy for us when the news came. There were lots of talks between us and some were livid. Six points is a lot,” said
Besides the six-point deduction, Kuala Lumpur were also slapped with a total fine of RM100,000, and a transfer ban for the remainder of the Super League season due to inaccuracies in the documentation submitted to government agencies in obtaining their club licence.
The penalties were handed by the First Instance Body (FIB), whose investigation revealed discrepancies in the club’s documentation submitted to LHDN, EPF, and Perkeso.
The Kuala Lumpur crew, especially the players, however, remain united. To overcome the pain of the sanctions, the players did a get-together and team-building session in Ulu Yam yesterday.
“We do it every year but I guess now, after the announcement by MFL, it came at the right time for us to further strengthen our bond and also tell ourselves that we can bounce back from this episode.
“I do hope the management will bounce back from this setback. The players are giving their all for the club, so we hope they can remedy the finances,” said Kenny.
Kuala Lumpur’s inaccurate documentation submission for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) licence also landed them in hot water as the club are now barred from applying for the AFC licence for the next two cycles (2024-2025 and 2025-2026), with a RM50,000 fine to go with it.
The AFC licence for the current season has also been revoked.
