Malaysia hope to learn from Premier League giants
Reuters - Friday 10 June 2011, 10:58
SINGAPORE - The unique scenario of
playing Premier League giants Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool
within seven days in an already congested schedule is a
'handful' Malaysia are happy to cope with in order to develop their national team.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) vice president and
national team manager Subahan Kamal says that taking on the extra
fixtures was important as the relationship the Asian country had
built with England's leading clubs allowed them access to world
class expertise.
"We in Malaysia are excited," Kamal told Reuters. "It is not only the public and fans of Arsenal, Liverpool
and Chelsea that are excited, even the management, the head
coach, even the players are all very excited to play.
"I think this is the first country in the world that will
play three (Premier League) giants in a week... not even Brazil
have done that."
The southeast Asian champions will host Arsenal on July 13
before facing Liverpool three days later and then Chelsea on
July 19, all at the National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur which has a
capacity of more than 80,000.
The matches come in the middle of first and second round
World Cup Asian qualifiers with Malaysia heavy favourites to
advance past Taiwan to set up a clash against bitter rivals
Singapore.
"Three matches is a handful and three is more than enough,"Kamal said, before adding that negotiations were ongoing as to what monetary
benefit Malaysia would receive for
hosting the three teams, and explaining that FAM had already fixed
deals to train with the English clubs in the future.
"It is a good start by having this partnership or
relationship. We have opened the door so Malaysian
players can go to England and it will be good for us to
work with them for the long term.
"Chelsea have actually agreed to let us send our national
team players over there to be with them for maybe a month and
our coaches also," Kamal said.
TRICK OR TWO
Liverpool already have a tie-in with the Kuala Lumpur
Football Association and the duo plan to form a youth
development programme which would start within a month, while
negotiations on sending players to train at Arsenal are
ongoing.
"Playing one game here is not going to make much of a
difference but we have spoken to Arsenal about sending
our boys there, so maybe when they are there for two or three
weeks. I think there will be more of an opportunity to learn a
trick or two and make themselves better."
The fixtures were organised by Hong Kong-based
soccer events management and marketing consultants ProEvents,
who had selected Malaysia because of their past success at
supporting English club tours.
"The more clubs we have come over the better as the boys can
learn from them and it is quite important for us including me to
keep football alive in Malaysia and by bringing these idols over
it will keep football healthy and give more room for development
in Malaysia."
Kamal said he hoped that despite Malaysia's love for the
Premier League, more local fans would choose to wear the black
and gold shirts of their country rather than those of Liverpool
and Arsenal.
"When Manchester United came over to Kuala Lumpur two years
ago you would see a packed stadium and maybe 30,000 wore a
Manchester United jerseys and less than 10,000 wore Malaysia
ones. I would be surprised if it was the same this time around."