Skip to main content

'Parting in a good way'

FAM TAKES NEW DIRECTION: Rajagobal bows out as the longest-serving national coach

HAILED as Malaysia's most successful coach in recent times, K. Rajagobal was dumped yesterday by the FA of Malaysia (FAM) executive committee which unanimously decided not to renew his contract.

Rajagobal, who re-ignited Malaysian football by guiding his team to the 2009 Sea Games and 2010 AFF Cup titles, will officially punch out for the last time on Dec 31.
The 57-year-old will bow out as the longest-serving national coach in Malaysian football history, breaking Alan Harris' record of three years.

Rajagobal, who was appointed as national coach in April, 2009, served for four-and-a-half years.
National Under-23 coach Ong Kim Swee will replace him on a caretaker basis after next month's Sea Games in Myanmar until FAM decides on a permanent replacement.

Former Japan coach Phillippe Troussier, along with former Singapore trainer Radojko Avramovic, Dollah Salleh and France's 1998 World Cup-winning skipper Marcel Desailly have been short-listed for the job.

Rajagobal said: "I will wait for FAM's official letter before sorting out other matters, including my future. I need something official before I can comment. I will hold a press conference."

FAM vice-president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal said Rajagobal's contributions will be remembered but it is time to let him go and give someone else the chance to take local football to the next level.
"After screening the reports of the relevant committees today, we decided not to renew Rajagobal's contract. However, we must thank him for contributing so much to Malaysian football," said Subahan, who is also national team manager, at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya yesterday.

"We gave him the opportunity to help the team qualify for the 2015 Asian Cup, which was his key performance index.

"Others should be given the chance to further develop the national team. We are not parting with Rajagobal in a bad way... I am sure he will get other offers.

"He has done so much for our football as the longest-serving local coach in history."
Rajagobal's relationship with the concerned parties has gone sour following his team's poor performance in competitions.

"The critics were harsh on him following Malaysia's failure to retain the AFF Cup last year.
"Kim Swee's contract as national youth coach will be renewed but he will replace Rajagobal on a caretaker basis until we find the right candidate," said Subahan.

FAM has started negotiations with the short listed candidates and is expected to name Rajagobal's replacement by March while Kim Swee has received a two-year extension as youth coach.
"We have four coaches on our list but it is too early to reveal their identities. I believe we should be able to appoint a new coach in January.

"If we do not find the right candidate, then Kim Swee will take charge of the senior team's final Asian Cup Qualifying match against Yemen on March 4.

"But Kim Swee will not be promoted to senior coach on a permanent basis."

National Under-23 coach Ong Kim Swee will replace K. Rajagobal on a caretaker basis.

Read more: 'Parting in a good way' - Soccer - New Straits Times

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ex-coach's jail sentence cut to a year

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal yesterday sentenced former athletics coach C. Ramanathan to 12 months' jail for molesting two junior athletes 19 years ago. A three-man bench led by Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus unanimously dismissed Ramanathan's appeal against conviction, but varied the jail sentence of four years to a year, which was to run concurrently. Following yesterday's ruling, Ramanathan, 75, a former teacher, walked out a free man as he had served 10 months in Kajang Prison. Convicts get one-third remission for good behaviour while in prison. However, he will lose his pension. Hishamudin, who sat with Datuk Abdul Wahab Patail and Datuk Linton Albert, said the court found no merit to overturn the conviction. "However, in reducing the sentence, we considered Ramanathan's age and the long years the appeal has taken." Deputy public prosecutor Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud submitted that then High Court judge Tan Sri Abdull Hamid E...
2 comments
Read more

Govt Always Gives Emphasis To Sporting Culture, Says PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, May 29 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badaw i said the government always gives emphasis on cultivating a strong sporting culture in achieving excellence at the international level. As such, the Prime Minister said, it was important to scout for young talents in sports. "I observe that the Malaysia Games (Sukma) has become one of the important platforms to do so. "In this arena, the potentials and skills of the youngsters can be identified for development so that they can achieve greater success in sports," he said in his message in the souvenir book of the 12th Sukma from May 31 until June 9. Abdullah said he was aware that competition in sports was very keen and challenging but this did not mean that Malaysian athletes were incapable of competing at the international level. "The fact is that we have all the characteristics required to be excellent. We must inculcate a strong fighting spirit so that we don't easily surrender,...
1 comment
Read more

Rajagobal Let Off The Hook

PETALING JAYA, April 24 (Bernama) -- National head coach Datuk K. Rajagobal was let off the hook by the Football Association of Malaysia's (FAM) Disciplinary Committee after finding no evidence that he had violated FAM's Article 88, as claimed. FAM Disciplinary Committee chairman Datuk Taufik Abdul Razak said the committee had decided not to charge Rajagobal after carefully analysing the video of the post-match press conference by the 56-year-old coach. "After listening to the recording of the post-match press conference, we decided to drop the charge against Rajagopal as he did not make such a statement. "Maybe his (Rajagobal) assessment and comments of the match was misconstrued by the media. There was no mention of the FAM policy throughout his comments," said Taufik after emerging from a three-hour Disciplinary Committee meeting at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya, here, Wednesday. Rajagobal who does not mince his words when asked to com...
4 comments
Read more