Proposal to reduce MSL to 12 teams

THE Super League may be reduced to 12 teams next season with each side able to hire as many as three foreign players in proposals to the FA of Malaysia executive committee.

FAM deputy president Tan Sri Annuar Musa said radical changes are needed to elevate the M-League to Asian standard and allow Malaysian teams to play in the AFC Champions League.

"All this while, the M-League has been professional in name only. From a management standpoint, we have yet to meet the standards set by AFF (Asean Football Federation) and AFC (Asian Football Council)," said Annuar after chairing a MSL committee meeting at Wisma FAM in Petaling Jaya yesterday.

"We have made several recommendations to the FAM exco to raise the standard of the M-League and to improve the management of teams.
"One of the main suggestions is to sever the link between teams and their respective state FAs. The management must be independent, I don't know about others, but Kelantan is already moving in that direction.

"In the next three years, we will assist state FAs to create a professional management and help in attracting sponsors through proper marketing."

Annuar, who is also Kelantan FA president, stressed state FAs cannot go on relying on FAM forever and must view themselves as a professional body in dealing with matters on and off the pitch.

On the return of foreign players, shut out since 2009, he said: "The players must be of sufficient quality and not just be filling quotas."

At least one of the imports must be a player of Asean origin in a bid to attract fans from regional countries to view the M-League.

The reduction of the number of teams in the Super League will likely involve a playoff at the end of the season featuring the bottom four teams in the Super League and top two from the Premier League. -- DEVINDER SINGH

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