KUALA LUMPUR: The FA of Malaysia (FAM) felt betrayed by Kim Pan Gon following the abrupt manner in which the Korean left his job as the national football team chief coach.
FAM president Datuk Hamidin Amin, at a press conference on Thursday, opened up on the alleged unethical way in which Pan Gon sought to terminate his binding contract with Harimau Malaya.
The 55-year-old Pan Gon told FAM recently that he had to break his contract (which had 17 months remaining) and return to South Korea due to "family issues". So, FAM granted him an early release on compassionate grounds.
But not long after that, FAM was shocked to find out that Pan Gon had joined Korean club, Ulsan HD, as their coach. FAM felt betrayed and taken for a ride.
Hamidin said Pan Gon had tried to contact him several times since then, but the FAM boss was in no mood to talk with him. He refused to answer Pan Gon's text messages.
Pan Gon's perceived "dishonesty" and alleged move to avoid paying a substantial sum of compensation for premature contract termination has deeply hurt Hamidin.
"FAM feels deeply betrayed by how he handled his departure. If he had received a better offer, he should have been upfront with us. Instead, he secured his new position during his holiday, which is why the South Korean media quickly picked up the story.
"We supported him and made our decision to bring him here based on strong recommendations from technical directors in Iran, Australia, and Japan.
"We were overly accommodating, we could have demanded compensation for the remaining year of his contract, but he pleaded for an early release. It's disappointing that he wasn't honest with us throughout this process."
In the same breath, Hamidin acknowledged the achievements of former national coach Tan Cheng Hoe, who was succeeded by Pan Gon.
Cheng Hoe, who led the national team from 2018 to 2021, improved Malaysia's world ranking from 178th to 154th. Under Pan Gon, the team rose from 154th to 134th.
"I want to set the record straight regarding Harimau Malaya's ranking, and I acknowledge Cheng Hoe's significant contributions.
"To put it in perspective, Cheng Hoe's efforts resulted in a 24-place rise, while Pan Gon achieved a 20-place improvement. These numbers are facts, and they highlight the substantial progress made under both coaches," said Hamidin.
When asked if FAM would reconsider Cheng Hoe for the national job, Hamidin said: "No. Cheng Hoe's time with us is a cherished chapter in our history. We must look forward and build on the future."