KUALA LUMPUR: KL City may be in the same boat like many other M-League teams, facing financial problems, but you hardly hear about their players wanting to jump ship.
Though the KL City have difficulty paying salaries this year, remarkably their players are still training hard and playing hard. And last night, they fought hard to come back from one goal down to beat Kelantan Darul Naim 3-1 at KLFA Stadium.
Instead of crying in the media about their financial hardship, KL players have been relatively quiet, compared to the other suffering teams. Perhaps, it's a sign that they still have faith in their management, that they will all be eventually paid.
The new KLFA leadership, which was elected last week, has so far put in one month's salary for them, with the promise of more coming.
KL City chief executive Stanley Bernard attributed the players' stoicism to the club's approach to signings.
"At KL City, we take our recruitment seriously. We don't just look for footballers, we seek out human beings.
"Before making a decision, we thoroughly research our candidates. This commitment fosters a locker room culture where players feel like family, which is crucial for maintaining morale during tough times," said Stanley.
Since its privatisation in 2021, KL City have had their share of ups and downs, including salary delays. Yet, the club has pulled off significant achievements with only a RM10 million budget.
KL City won the Malaysia Cup in 2021 and in the following year, they reached the AFC Cup final, marking only the second time a Malaysian club had done so.
Last year, KL City made it to the FA Cup final before losing 2-0 to mighty Johor Darul Ta'zim.