Thumbs-up for M-League suspension

SEVERAL coaches have praised the FA of Malaysia (FAM) and Malaysia Football League (MFL) for suspending the M-League due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a precautionary measure, fans and the media will not be allowed into all the venues this weekend. Interviews and video footages of the matches will be provided by MFL instead.

While the coaches admitted that it would be “strange” playing behind closed doors, they are still in the dark as to whether their players should shake hands with their opponents before and after the whistle is blown.

FAM and MFL will not ban players, coaches and match officials from shaking hands but it is not encouraged.

The M-League teams will also continue to train during the postponement of the league but will take precautionary measures to avoid contact with outsiders.

Hand sanitisers and face masks will be provided while the temperatures of the players will be taken before training.

Selangor coach B. Satiananthan said it is a good move to suspend the league as the health of players, officials and fans is more important than football.

“Although the postponement of the matches will cause a backlog, I think it is safer not to play at the moment.

“Prevention is more important. In Europe, many players and coaches have been infected by Covid-19 despite the matches being played behind closed doors.

“So postponing our league will avoid problems. It’s pointless to play games if your players are sick.”

On whether his players will shake hands with their Kedah counterparts in tomorrow’s match in Alor Star, Satiananthan, who is also the president of the National Coaches Association of Malaysia (NCAM), said it will not be a wise thing to do.

“However, having no contact at all against your opponents during a match is impossible as football is a physical game.”

Satiananthan also touched on the preventive measures his team will be taking during training when the league is postponed.

“We will continue with our training programmes but the players will be reminded not to report in if they are sick.

“At our training centre, our management will provide hand sanitisers and everyone will be required to wash their hands regularly.

“We also need to keep our changing rooms and bathrooms clean and our equipment need to be disinfected regularly,” he added.

Melaka coach Zainal Abidin Hassan said FAM and MFL have made the right decision as Covid-19 is a global problem.

“We will continue to train after this weekend’s match and also play friendly games to maintain fitness.

“However, FAM and MFL must notify the teams when the league will restart once things get better.

“This is because the training intensity is normally different seven days before a match.

“We will consult our medical officers on what other precautionary measures we should take,” said Zainal.

Felda United coach Nidzam Jamil said football can wait as health is more important.

“It is better to avoid playing matches as human lives are more important. Football can be played any time.”

Nidzam will seek the advice of his management whether to allow his players to shake hands with their Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) counterparts in today’s Super League match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.

“Frankly, we do not have a clear guideline on this from the concerned parties... We don’t know what are the dos and don’ts.

“I might make some adjustment to our training schedule. We might train at night to avoid contact with outsiders,” said Nidzam.

Perak coach Mehmet Durakovic said it is good idea to postpone the league.

“Our medical team have provided us with face masks and hand santisers. We should not take this as a weird decision as Covid-19 is spreading very fast in the country.

“Playing behind closed doors (today) against Sabah in Likas will be a bit strange. Players like fans to pack venues as it gives them the added motivation to do better.

“As a coach, it is also a new experience,” said Durakovic after arriving in Kota Kinabalu yesterday.