Malaysian coach directly points out mistakes in FIFA penalty over illegal naturalization

Coach Cklamovski openly confirmed that the Football Association of Malaysia committed mistakes in the recent naturalization controversy.

After the 3-0 victory against Laos, Coach Peter Cklamovski surprised many by defending the Johor prince (TMJ) – Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim – who has faced much criticism following the recent naturalization scandal. Specifically, he is considered the person behind Malaysia’s entire naturalization policy.

The Malaysian coach straightforwardly said: "Who received sponsorship from the Prime Minister and support from the government? It was Tunku Ismail, not FAM.

Who raised the standards, who ensured we could fly on chartered flights like professional players to prepare well for a tough match and then fly straight back to Kuala Lumpur? It was Tunku Ismail. The support he gave us so that we could perform at our best and professionally... all thanks to him", NST quoted Coach Cklamovski.

"There are negative opinions targeted at him. That is unfair and baseless. He is a visionary leader; without him, Malaysian football would have collapsed long ago,"the Australian strategist added.

Notably, the head coach of the "Malayan Tigers" also clearly stated that the recent scandals were the fault of the Football Association of Malaysia: "Management mistakes leading to issues with FIFA are FAM's fault, not Tunku Ismail's. Without him, Malaysian football would have ended."

Meanwhile, player Arif Aman also expressed gratitude to Tunku Ismail after the match: "We also want to thank the fans. And not forgetting our biggest supporter, Tunku Ismail (Sultan Ibrahim). That's all. Thank you everyone."

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