KUALA LUMPUR – Selangor FC has threatened legal action against those spreading claims that its management meddled in former head coach Nidzam Jamil’s tactical decisions.
Rumours within the football fraternity alleged that Nidzam was stripped of full autonomy and forced to share his tactics and starting line-ups with management prior to matches.
He was also allegedly pressured to field star winger Faisal Halim for publicity despite concerns about Faisal’s match fitness.
Faisal, 26, recently returned to the field for the Red Giants following an acid attack in May and has since played in six Super League matches, even captaining the team in the Sultan Selangor Cup.
Speaking to Scoop, Selangor FA deputy president Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar dismissed the allegations, stating that Nidzam had complete authority over team decisions.
“Our management has never forced any player to play, including Faisal. All decisions were Nidzam’s, and we have never interfered in his choices,” Shahril said when contacted.
He added that the club would consider legal measures against those who continue to propagate the accusations.
Nidzam was promoted from assistant coach to head coach in March this year after Tan Cheng Hoe mutually terminated his contract with the club to pursue an international coaching career.
Despite Selangor’s decent standing in the Super League, where the club is currently ranked second behind JDT, Nidzam faced pressure after a heavy 6-1 FA Cup final loss to the Southern Tigers and a 3-0 Super League defeat last month, sparking fan calls for his resignation via the hashtag #NJout.
While Scoop previously reported that fan backlash did not prompt his exit, Shahril revealed that the 45-year-old coach, who spent most of his professional playing career with Selangor from 1999 to 2004, had been considering resigning for some time.
Currently, interim coach Abdi Hassan is overseeing Selangor, with a decision on a new head coach expected by the end of the month.
Meanwhile, the team remains second in Group H of the Asian Champions League 2, with seven points. – November 11, 2024