KUALA LUMPUR: The Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, has urged football clubs in Malaysia to adopt financial discipline and realistic planning, warning that reckless spending and over-promising are harming the sport.
Tunku Ismail, owner of Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT), shared his candid thoughts on Instagram, offering a straightforward formula for club management.
"Managing a club is simple. If you have RM10, spend RM7. Improve your infrastructure a bit and set realistic goals," he wrote.
He criticised clubs that overspend and make populist promises only to later grapple with financial difficulties.
"Instead, we see clubs promising to win trophies just to gain popularity. They spend RM15 when they only have RM10.
"When salaries go unpaid, the blame is shifted to the governing body (FA of Malaysia), the league (Malaysian Football League), or even JDT, instead of taking responsibility," said Tunku Ismail.
His remarks come amid mounting scrutiny of Malaysian football over issues like unpaid wages, inadequate infrastructure and a lack of grassroots development.
A day earlier, the former FAM president said the industry has not failed but is being let down by individuals lacking expertise.