FAM ENDORSE CLASSIFICATION
National body reveal categorisation for naturalised players
THE FA of Malaysia (FAM) executive committee yesterday endorsed the classification of naturalised players into three categories (short, middle and long).
The short term category consists of foreign players with a parent or grandparent being Malaysians. It also encompasses foreign players (with no heritage) who have played more than five years in the M-League.
The middle category comprises foreigners, aged 18 and above, who have been playing in the MLeague for one or two years with the intention of residing in
Malaysia for a minimum of five years.
The long term category involves those aged 18 and below. Details of this category will be revealed soon by FAM’s technical committee.
On Telekom Malaysia’s (TM) decision to pull out as the MLeague sponsor, FAM admitted that they are concerned with the matter.
Malaysia Football League (MFL) run the M-League.
“We are definitely concerned about this as it involves our league.
“Although FAM and MFL are two different bodies, the former are the guardians of the game. We will work together with MFL and try to solve it,” said FAM secretary general Stuart Ramalingam after the executive committee meeting in Penang yesterday.
On whether teams will be paid their incentives following TM’s decision (to pull out), Stuart said the question is for MFL to answer.
Super League and Premier League teams have yet to receive their incentives of RM3 million and RM1.5 million each this year.
Stuart also disclosed that national Under-19 coach Bojan Hodak’s future will be discussed at the association’s national teams committee meeting on April 17.
Hodak sparked a controversy when he criticised the country’s football development system in a statement issued after his team failed to qualify for the second round of the Sanix Cup in Fukuoka, Japan earlier this month.