THE Premier League is set to become a joke next season as only six teams will be fighting for promotion to the top flight as other clubs are not eligible.
Only Police, Sarawak United, Negri Sembilan, Kelantan, Kelantan United and Kuching will be battling for the two Super League spots for the 2022 season.
Johor Darul Ta'zim II, Perak II, Selangor II, Terengganu FC II (feeder clubs) and the newly-formed Young Tigers or Project Squad are not eligible even if they take up the top-two spots in the league.
Based on the regulations, feeder clubs cannot play in the Super League and the Malaysia Cup even if they qualify on merit from the 11-team Premier League.
Yesterday, FA of Malaysia (FAM) secretary-general Stuart Ramalingam confirmed that the Young Tigers are also not eligible for the Super League and Malaysia Cup.
Also, Yusri Che Lah's side will not be part of the FA Cup.
With only six teams fighting for promotion and Malaysia Cup spots next season, fans will definitely lose interest as it will be boring while sponsors might not invest so much in the competition.
It is okay for feeder teams to play in the Premier League if there are around 20 teams but having only 11, including four feeder clubs and a project squad in the league, it defeats the purpose in trying to promote the M-League to the world.
The quality of the league will also be affected as some feeder clubs will field experimental squads in selected matches.
Stuart, meanwhile, said: "The project squad cannot play in the Super League. They will be maintained as a development squad in the Premier League."
"They will also not play in the Malaysia Cup and FA Cup."
"We do not foresee issues with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) concerning the project squad's participation in the Premier League."
FAM, however, should ensure quality control by demoting all feeder teams and the project squad to the M3 League and having more third-tier teams in the Premier League for the 2022 season.