The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) today decided to terminate the contracts of national head coach B. Sathianathan and national team manager Datuk Soh Chin Aun.
FAM deputy president Datuk Redzuan Tan Sri Sheikh Ahmad said the termination of Sathianathan and Chin Aun's contracts was to pave the way for new faces to head the national football team.
"The FAM executive committee meeting chaired by FAM president Sultan Ahmad Shah were unanimous in their decision to terminate Sathianathan and Chin Aun's services. Sathianathan will be given a month's notice while Chin Aun's termination takes effect immediately," Redzuan told reporters at Wisma FAM after a three-hour meeting here today.
Redzuan however, did not reveal the actual reasons for the termination of the duo's contracts but football critics feel the 0-5 defeat to UAE in the Asian Cup qualifiers last Wednesday and Sathianathan's comment about the M-League could have weighed heavily against him.
"The post of the new head coach will be discussed soon by the management committee for the national team headed by Sultan Ahmad Shah," he said.
Redzuan added that FAM had identified a list of local coaches to replace Sathianathan who had guided the national Under-23 squad to win the Merdeka Cup in 2007 before being appointed head coach of the senior team in September 2007.
As for the post of team manager, Redzuan said Datuk Capt. Gulzar Mohamad, one of the four FAM vice presidents, would replace Chin Aun who was actually a stand in manager for FAM deputy president Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar.
"Khairy was initially appointed team manager but since he could not fully commit himself, he had sought Chin Aun's assistance," he said.
He added that the committee also decided in today's meeting that seven states and clubs that still owed players and coaches RM620,000 in arrears as wages, must settle the outstanding amount by Dec 31 or face drastic action.
"If they failed to settle the arrears, FAM will take drastic action, including barring them from competing in the M-League next season," he said.
FAM has also picked a seven-member delegation to meet Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Wednesday to discuss the direction and future of Malaysian football, he said.
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