THE celebratory confetti has yet to settle, but Malacca United’s celebrations have been cut short by a soured relationship with coach Mat Zan Mat Aris that officially ended yesterday.
After club president Datuk Seri Idris Haron hinted that he would back the management should they decide on a revamp for their Super League debut next season, two days later it seems they have no choice but to do so.
After a top management meeting yesterday, the club deputy president confirmed a unanimous decision not to renew Mat Zan’s contract.
That is despite the 58-year-old fan-favourite steering the team to consecutive promotions by winning the FAM League last year and the Premier League this season.
Yusof added that Malacca will begin their preparations for the new season in the Super League by hunting for 16 new players while just 10 of the current squad would be retained.
Yusof said Malacca are even prepared to lose captain and top scorer Ilija Spasojevic with a number of teams said to be pursuing the Montenegrin despite plans to retain him.
There is speculation that Malacca born current national coach Ong Kim Swee is being courted to take over once his contract ends after the national squad’s AFF Suzuki Cup campaign next month.
“We have shortlisted a few names and the final decision would be made in the next one or two weeks,” said Yusof, neither confirming nor denying the Kim Swee possibility.
“There are no negative reason why we did not want to renew Mat Zan’s contract. We just want to try a new coach and some fresh air to the team,” said Yusof.
He added that the 16 players from the current squad who are not retained will also have a chance to impress the new coach once he arrives, if they have not found new teams.
Injured Palestine international Yashir Pinto will be given time to recover before a decision is made on his future with Malacca, while Romanian Alexandru Tudose and Swede Labinot Harbuzihave beendropped.
Mat Zan began to be at loggerheads with the management over a decision to retain him on a month-to-month
basis when his contract expired in August and was informed that the matter will only be discussed after their final match against Sime Darby last Saturday.
Yusof said Malacca were under no obligation to immediately renew Mat Zan’s contract, even going as far as saying the latter should have declined to continue right then if he was not happy with the deal.
Mat Zan, when contacted, didn’t mince his words either. “Maybe someone in Malacca United thinks that I am not good enough to coach in the Super League,” he said.
Mat Zan skipped yesterday’s meeting, after also missing the team’s victory parade in the city on Sunday despite been invited.
The coach, who as a player, made his name as a hard-man midfielder with Kuala Lumpur in the 1980s and 90s, guided Terengganu to victory in the Malaysia Cup in 2001.