PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Football League’s (MFL) new chief executive officer (CEO) Giorgio Pompili Rossi (pic) isn’t here to make empty promises.
The Italian, who took over the role last week, said he is aware of the salary issues faced by many clubs in the league, but knows it isn’t a problem that can be solved overnight.
“Everyone is aware of the financial problems, but I strongly believe there are things that need to be analysed and go deeper into,” said Rossi.
“There is a Financial Fair Play model in place, so we need to understand exactly how we can improve the league’s financial status fast.
“But it’s not going to happen overnight. No way, it will take time,” he said during a meet-and-greet session yesterday.
Several clubs in the Super League have been plagued with salary arrears, including Kuala Lumpur, Perak, and Kedah, who had to resort to using their youth squad for the upcoming fixture as their senior players haven’t turned up for training.
Rossi added that he intends to talk with the teams to find a solution for the seemingly never-ending problem, which could only be discovered after a deep dive into the clubs.
“The solution will come after a deep review. I’m not the guy who makes promises that I can’t commit to right now.
“Everyone has made promises over the years, but I’m not going to play that style,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rossi said Super League giants Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) should be used as a reference and inspiration for other clubs to strive towards instead of finding their faults.
“JDT are the champions, and have been for many years. The team are good and strong and I hope they will go far in their Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competitions.
“Because indirectly, what they are doing is parading the Malaysian flag out of the country.
“If they can go far in international competitions, then it is good for Malaysian football because other countries will see us,” he said.
He said the Southern Tigers have set a benchmark for other clubs to follow, which would also increase the level of competition within the league.
“On the domestic side of things, they are a very well-managed club with amazing facilities.
“I hope other clubs will try to compete and bring the challenge to them.
“If that happens, the level of the league will increase as well. Use JDT as a reference to grow, instead of creating conflicts between the teams,” he said.
Rossi took over the MFL CEO role after Datuk Stuart Ramalingam’s contract ended on Aug 31.
