Coach Cklamovski speaks out about doubts about naturalized Malaysian players
Accordingly, Mr. Cklamovski expressed his fatigue when having to continuously receive accusations about naturalized Malaysian players of unclear origin, facing the risk of being punished by FIFA, having the result of the 4-0 victory over the Vietnamese team on June 10 annulled and being awarded a 0-3 loss...
Coach Peter Cklamovski (middle) and the Malaysian team after the match against the Vietnamese team on June 10 - Photo: Ngoc Linh
"To be honest, I'm feeling tired. It's been weeks since the match with Vietnam, but the discussions about (naturalized) players have never stopped. I've put that match behind me and am looking forward to the upcoming matches. We had the paperwork from the Malaysian government and FIFA before the match with Vietnam. I don't know what else I can do to prove the legality of the players," the 46-year-old Australian coach shared at a press conference on July 23.
Coach Cklamovski also expressed: "Machuca (player Imanol Machuca, of Argentine origin) missed his son's birthday to play for the Malaysian team, and Holgado (also of Argentine origin) took a long flight and returned right after the match to return to the club...
I don't know what else these players have to sacrifice to prove their desire to represent Malaysia. I think that the players who are playing for the Malaysian team, no matter where they come from, they always need the support of the Malaysian people."
However, coach Cklamovski's explanations still cannot convince public opinion in Malaysia as before, because the question related to naturalized players, whether their ancestral origin has any connection to Malaysia or not, is still unclear.
Coach Cklamovski and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) said that they had all the necessary documents and were licensed by FIFA before the match with the Vietnamese team, but did not make it public, causing the matter to continue to cause controversy.
The issue of naturalized Malaysian players with unclear origins continues to be controversial and has no end in sight - Photo: Ngoc Linh
Meanwhile, Malaysian sports critic Sadek Mustaffa questioned the country's sudden withdrawal from the Central Asian Championship, then the surprise announcement of two friendly matches in September, which seemed to be a response to the ongoing storm of criticism.
"What's the use of playing matches (against Singapore and Palestine) that don't help the team improve? We have good players playing abroad, but they have to travel more than 24 hours (back to Kuala Lumpur) to play poor quality matches like this. The team management made a mistake by withdrawing from the Central Asian tournament, where there are top opponents and the Malaysian team can test themselves to improve faster," said Sadek Mustaffa.
Also according to Mr. Sadek Mustaffa: "They (FAM and coach Cklamovski) said the reason for the withdrawal was due to logistical problems and difficulties in summoning players. These are unacceptable reasons. It is strange to see a professional team and a national team not considering logistical problems, FIFA's match schedule and player availability. It seems that there was a problem in communication between FAM and the team's leadership."
Explaining the decision to choose friendly matches with Singapore and Palestine instead of the Central Asian tournament, coach Cklamovski said that these are two quality opponents.
"Singapore is Malaysia's long-time rival, a derby. Meanwhile, Palestine is in the world's top 100. They have qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup and have a good record in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. These will be two very good test matches, for us to look forward to the matches against Laos in October in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers," coach Cklamovski emphasized.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/malaysia-dau-giao-huu-sau-khi-bo-giai-trung-a-doi-pho-cau-thu-nhap-tich-185250724092238646.htm
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