Just after criticizing the Football Association, Malaysia's coach surprisingly apologized, shocking the public.

After condemning the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) regarding the naturalization scandal, coach Peter Cklamovski suddenly made a public apology, insisting his comments were misinterpreted.

Before the second leg match against Laos in the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, coach Peter Cklamovski officially apologized to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) following a series of controversial statements related to the case of seven players involved in fraudulent naturalization. This move was seen as an attempt to "cool down" tensions after several days of conflict between the Australian strategist and FAM.

A few days ago, after Malaysia's 3-0 victory over Laos, Cklamovski sharply criticized FAM. He defended Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim — regarded as a major patron of Malaysian football — while blaming FAM for the scandal that led to FIFA's severe sanctions.

“Without Tunku Ismail, Malaysian football would have been wiped out long ago. The administrative errors and troubles with FIFA are all FAM’s fault,” he stated.

These comments quickly divided public opinion. Some Malaysian fans supported Cklamovski, believing he spoke the truth. However, many others criticized him as “ungrateful” since he still receives a salary from FAM but openly criticized the organization, damaging the national football image.

Facing backlash, coach Cklamovski abruptly reversed his stance during a press conference on October 13. He publicly apologized to FAM and claimed his words were misunderstood. “My statements were never intended to insult the Football Association of Malaysia. If anyone felt hurt, I apologize. I only wanted to highlight the contributions of Tunku Ismail to Malaysian football,” he said.

The Australian strategist also tried to separate the team from the controversies surrounding the naturalization scandal. “We understand there is a lot of noise about the current situation, but that is beyond the team’s control. The entire squad is focused solely on football and performing well on the pitch,” he shared.

According to Malaysian media, this apology is seen as a move to “ease” the strained relationship between coach Cklamovski and FAM, which had been tense after his previous remarks. In the context of FIFA’s recent sanctions that severely impacted Malaysian football’s image, the national team leader’s public apology is considered necessary to stabilize internal affairs.

Prince Tunku Ismail — the influential figure behind Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) club — is still believed to be connected to the fraudulent naturalization case, although his exact role remains unclear. However, coach Cklamovski affirmed that he only wanted to express respect for the prince’s contributions, not to attack FAM.

With this public apology, the Australian strategist has somewhat closed the chapter on the prolonged controversy, helping the Malaysian team regain calm before entering the next phase of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

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