KUALA LUMPUR: Outgoing national football team coach Kim Pan Gon has blamed his poor grasp of English for causing a misunderstanding.
The South Korean coach explained that he did not mean to say "very dangerous" when explaining the reason behind his resignation as the head coach of the Harimau Malaya squad in a special press conference yesterday (July 16).
Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) owner Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sultan Ibrahim has questioned what Kim Pan Gon meant when he said it was dangerous to explain the reason behind his resignation as Harimau Malaya head coach.
He said that the South Korean should be specific about what he said during the press conference yesterday.
In a post on the X platform RimauXI, Pan Gon revealed the true meaning behind the statement "very dangerous," which had caused various negative perceptions and raised questions, especially among local football supporters.
The X user, who also attended the discussion session between Pan Gon, Tunku Ismail, and FA of Malaysia (FAM) deputy president Datuk Yusoff Mahadi, said it was due to Pan Gon's limited English proficiency.
"When asked what he meant by 'very dangerous,' his answer was that his English proficiency is not very good," posted RimauXI on X.
"However, there are things that need to be studied for the strategic plan, and this is not to be discussed openly in front of the media."
Pan Gon stressed that he could not share detailed reasons for making the drastic decision to resign from the Malaysian national team.
The 55-year-old tactician dropped a bombshell with his resignation even though his contract only ends in December 2025 and said that he had shared the reasons with FAM president, Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin.
"Same answer. I speak to the Datuk president (Hamidin) every single day. That, I cannot share with you...here...very danger(ous). He knows all the details. So that...I must honour," he said at a special press conference on July 16.