DO not just voice out your worries or problems to the press or on social media. Everyone should hold an open discussion and find a solution to this football nightmare.
That was the plea of the FA of Malaysia (FAM) and Malaysian Football League (MFL) to teams and players affected by the M-League suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Yesterday, FAM issued a statement, calling on officials and players to hold an open discussion on coming up with measures to deal with the grim situation after some clubs talk about cutting salaries or deferring pay.
FAM secretary general Stuart Ramalingam said all the parties involved need to have an open discussion in finding solutions to the difficult situation.
“Instead of coming out with comments in the media which would further complicate matters, it’s better for them (clubs) to contact the players and officials directly to discuss openly the matters concerning salaries, contracts, welfare and others,” he said.
Stuart said, in view of the situation, FAM hope that the clubs, players and officials would make compromises and sacrifices for the interest of all parties and reach a decision acceptable to all.
“Of course, all the parties involved have their own interests to preserve but in this situation, everyone needs to sacrifice to reach the best outcome for the interest of our football industry.
“FAM and MFL are always open for discussions, or give advice to any clubs, players or officials. If there are problems or questions, they can contact us directly.”
MFL run the CIMB Super League, Premier League, Shopee FA Cup, TM Malaysia Cup and Challenge Cup while FAM organise the President’s Cup, Youth Cup and Malaysia Premier Futsal League.
Meanwhile, MFL chief executive officer Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan stressed that the discussions between clubs and players don’t necessarily mean players are asked to take a paycut immediately due to the M-League postponement.
“That’s why FAM and MFL have asked all parties to hold discussions so that they can reach a fair decision for everyone involved,” said Ghani.
“What’s happening now is not the fault of MFL or anyone else in the league. The clubs have also lost their source of income during the postponement period.
“It’s a difficult situation, one which we have never experienced before. So, I urge all the players and officials to understand.”
The M-League was suspended from March 16 with all the fixtures postponed indefinitely while the matches the week before were played behind closed doors.
In England, the Professional Footballers’ Association have called for urgent talks with the Premier League and English Football League to discuss the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
With English football suspended until at least April 30, the loss of matchday revenue has hit the clubs hard, especially in the lower leagues.
Guardiola donates one million euros to fight Covid-19 in Spain 
