TMJ ready to face Gomez in court
FAM president Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim is ready to face former Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) coach Mario Gomez in court.
Gomez, who recently signed with Indonesian club Persib Bandung, claimed he has not been paid his full salary by JDT, and his lawyer is also filing a case with Fifa.
In a posting on the Johor Southern Tigers Facebook page, Tunku Ismail challenged Gomez to sue him.
“Keep on trying, Mario.. $$$ please take me to court, because I have never been in one and I would like to experience it,” said Tunku Ismail, who owns four-time Super League champions JDT.
“I’m the Crown Prince of Johor. I don’t need to mention how much I am worth. Does it make any sense that I am not able to pay a mere 60 thousand dollars (RM244,000)?”
JDT technical director Alistair Edwards disputed 60-year-old Gomez’s claim that the club still owed the Argentine anything.
“The fact is that as part of Mr Gomez’s contract with JDT, he was required to pay the salary of his assistant Raul Longhi,” said Edwards.
“Mr Gomez initially paid this amount directly to Mr Longhi and then later, he asked our club secretary to make the payments directly to Mr Longhi.
“Since 2015, JDT has paid this salary component directly to Mr Longhi from Mr Gomez’s salary as per his specific request in line with Mr Gomez’s contractual obligations.
“Mr Gomez has also made a false statement that we have not replied to his letter. We received the letter in Spanish and have replied accordingly. Do not try to cheat because this will tarnish you in Indonesia.
“I advised him to get correct legal advice as there is a proper channel in the legal system. Our lawyers are prepared with all the facts because we are confident that the actions taken are accurate in line with the rules of law.”
Gomez was abruptly replaced as JDT coach just two days before the start of the 2017 season with the club offering no explanation for the decision at the time.
He led Darul Ta’zim to the AFC Cup title in 2015 besides winning the Super League crown in 2015 and 2016 and the FA Cup in 2016.Mohd Fitrie Muhamad