KUALA LUMPUR – National football and Selangor legend Santokh Singh has slammed Selangor FC’s direction, accusing the club of lacking vision and patience after sacking head coach Katsuhito Kinoshi following a mixed start to the Super League season.
His comments came in the wake of yesterday’s announcement that the Japanese coach had been dismissed just 24 hours before the Red Giants’ highly anticipated Sultan of Selangor Cup clash against Singapore at the Merdeka Stadium.
Speaking to Scoop, Santokh said the decision reflected deeper problems within the club and highlighted a worrying culture of short-term thinking.
“Selangor have completely lost their identity as a club,” he said when contacted.
“Sacking a coach this early in the season shows there is no proper plan or structure. You cannot expect miracles in just a few months – football doesn’t work like that. You need continuity and stability, but unfortunately, that’s not happening here.”
The former Harimau Malaya stalwart did not hold back in his criticism, saying Selangor’s management needed to take a long, hard look at themselves instead of blaming coaches.
“How many coaches have they changed over the years? And yet, the same problems repeat themselves. That tells you the issue isn’t just with the man on the sidelines – it’s at the top,” Santokh added.
“There’s too much interference, too many decisions made without proper footballing sense. If they keep going down this path, Selangor will never return to their glory days.”
Santokh also questioned whether the club truly understood what it takes to rebuild a team.
“You brought Kinoshi in to do a job, and he even delivered you a trophy,” he said.
“But the moment there’s a bump in the road, you show him the door. What message does that send to future coaches? That they’re disposable? This is not how big clubs behave.”
Meanwhile, another former Red Giants legend, D. Surendran, echoed Santokh’s sentiments, saying Selangor’s decisions were becoming increasingly erratic and disconnected from the club’s proud history.
“This isn’t the Selangor I knew,” said Surendran. “When I was playing, there was pride, there was patience, and there was a long-term vision. Now it feels like they’re chasing quick fixes without addressing the real issues behind the scenes.”
Surendran, who spent his entire professional career with Selangor from 1996 to 2011, said the sacking of Kinoshi was another sign that the club’s hierarchy lacked proper footballing direction.
“You don’t build a winning team overnight. It takes time for a coach to implement his ideas and get the best out of his players,” he said.
“Selangor fans deserve better. They deserve a club that’s run with purpose and respect for its heritage. Right now, decisions like this are damaging the team’s morale and credibility.”
Kinoshi, 61, who took charge in November last year, guided Selangor to the 2024–25 MFL Challenge Cup title but struggled to find consistency in the league.
Under his tenure, Selangor won 12 of 23 matches in all competitions, drew three and lost seven – a win rate of around 54%.
Despite that record, a patchy start to the current campaign – two wins and three defeats in their opening five matches, including three consecutive away losses – piled pressure on the Japanese coach.
Frenchman Christophe Gamel has been appointed interim head coach as the club begins the search for a permanent replacement. Gamel will be in the dugout for tonight’s Sultan of Selangor Cup clash against Singapore. — September 27, 2025