Football

Five months on, Kedah footballers still unpaid

KEDAH captain Baddrol Bakhtiar would rather suffer alone than watch his entire team struggle without salary.

It is reported that the Kedah players have not received their salaries for the last five months.

Following months of keeping mum regarding the salary arrears, the 32-year-old has had enough and wants his voice to be heard for the sake of his teammates' welfare.

"I sympathise with the players. I'm doing this for them.

"As a senior member of the team, I feel sorry especially for the youngsters, who had shared stories of their struggles to make ends meet.

"If there is a need to take action then punish me, not them."

The midfielder is unhappy with the statement by Kedah FA (KFA) newly elected president Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.

He feels that Sanusi's statement had portrayed the players in a bad light.

"I am sad and disappointed. Before this, there were sweet promises made to us by the former president (Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir), but nothing came out of them.

"Politicising football is never a good thing. There shouldn't even be an issue regarding our salaries.

"It has painted a negative picture.

"As players, we also need to get paid as we have commitments as well."

Baddrol, who has played for Kedah since 2005, said the mood in the camp has been sombre.

He claims that the players are just getting by doing the bare minimum in training.

"There aren't any happy faces in training.

"It's not just the players. Coaches and team officials are also going through the same thing.

"As of now, several payers have lodged reports with the Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia (PFAM)."

Baddrol also hinted that some players are also thinking about leaving the Red Eagles and joining other teams next season.

On Sunday, Sanusi, also the Kedah Menteri Besar, disclosed that the Super League team's debt stood at RM10.6 million.

He also questioned the previous management for signing players with salaries up to RM120,000 a month.

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