SELANGOR coach B. Satiananthan believes the entire football industry will suffer if the M-League is cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He hopes the FA of Malaysia (FAM) and the Malaysia Football League (MFL) will come up with solutions to address all possibilities.
“Yes, the government could extend the Movement Control Order (MCO) or decide to ban mass gatherings for some time after the MCO.
“However, if it leads to the cancellation of the M-League, it will affect everyone in the fraternity.
“Many teams will face problems. It will affect not only the players and coaches, but also the entire football industry.
“I think there are solutions to avoid it. FAM and MFL should look into steps to honour contract obligations with advertisers and other sponsors.
“Sponsors will pull out if the obligations are not fulfilled,” said Satiananthan.
The former national coach also said most M-League clubs depend on sponsors to play in competitions as they do not earn a lot from gate collections.
M-League matches could also be played without fans when the season resumes.
In response, Satiananthan said the concerned parties need to find options to make sure matches are shown live on TV and on other platforms.
“If this happens, everyone should do their part to help teams. It includes reducing stadium rentals.”
He, however, hopes the M-League will resume this season.
“It will affect many people if the league is cancelled. Many will be out of jobs if that happens,” he added.