KUALA LUMPUR: Three names have emerged as contenders for the Selangor head coach job following the sudden resignation of Nidzam Jamil.
They are Croatian Bojan Hodak, South Korean Park Hang Seo and Malaysia's Nafuzi Zain. All three have a proven track record.
For now, the Red Giants are managed by interim coach Abdi Hassan.
Hodak, 53, guided Kelantan to a historic treble in 2012, Johor Darul Ta'zim to their first Super League title in 2014 and Kuala Lumpur to the Malaysia Cup title in 2021.
However, hiring Hodak could be costly. His contract with Indonesian side, Persib Bandung, runs until next year, meaning Selangor may need to negotiate a hefty buyout.
Former Vietnam national coach Hang Seo, who is now an adviser to Bac Ninh FC, presents an attractive option. However, Selangor will need to have deep pockets to hire the South Korean who was reported to be paid a monthly salary of US$50,000 (RM218,000) by the Vietnam Football Federation.
Nafuzi, on the other hand, represents a promising and cheaper local alternative. The Malaysian coach turned heads in leading Terengganu to second place in both the Super League and FA Cup in 2022.
Selangor technical committee chairman, Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar, said the club is open to considering both local and foreign coaches.
"We aim to compile a shortlist of candidates soon, but no names have been finalised yet. We're evaluating all possibilities, including local options, and are also looking at candidates from Japan, Korea, and Europe."
He said Hodak is certainly under consideration but stressed that the search remains open.
"We can't just focus on one or two names. We're casting a wide net. In my view, the most crucial factor is the coach's qualification, and secondly, his character. Even the best qualification won't work if the coach's character doesn't align with our system," said Shahril.