KUALA LUMPUR: This is going to reflect badly on the FA of Malaysia (FAM) as national team interim head coach Pau Marti Vicente questioned the timing of a recent announcement by the national body.
Just when the national team are playing in the ongoing Asean Cup, FAM announced the appointment of Australian Peter Cklamovski as the new head coach of Harimau Malaya.
Apparently, this has not gone down well with the Spaniard who expressed concern over the timing of the announcement. He called it "a bit weird".
"I think from the start, it was a bit weird. I don't know why or how it's beneficial to introduce a new coach while we're still competing.
"But we cannot change or control this. Our focus must remain on training, the pitch, and preparing for the match against Singapore. If we get distracted by these external matters, it becomes difficult," said Vicente."
The former Barcelona youth team assistant coach announced his resignation from the FAM role three days before Malaysia's opening Group A match on Dec 8. His tenure with the national team is set to end after the Asean Cup.
Meanwhile, Cklamovski is slated to begin his head coach duties on Jan 1, potentially creating an overlap between his time and Vicente's. If Malaysia reach the final, Vicente's Harimau Malaya's mission will only end on Jan 5, 2025.
Amid all these distractions, Vicente's team face a must-win Asean Cup group match against Singapore tomorrow.