BY ZULHILMI ZAINAL Follow on Twitter
With less than three weeks to go before the 2018 Super League kicks off, the Red Giants' preparations have taken another major hit.
On Tuesday, the Malaysian FA (FAM) and M-League organiser Football Malaysia LLP (FMLLP) have suddenly come out to voice out their disagreement to the use of the Bukit Jalil National Stadium by Selangor this season.
FAM president Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim was first to express that sentiment, in a statement issued on the association's Facebook page. Curiously, the post was later removed from the page.
His sentiment however was later echoed by FAM secretary-general Dato' Hamidin Amin, in another statement posted on the same page.
"I fully support the statement of the President of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, that it is impossible for Selangor to use the Bukit Jalil National Stadium as their home ground for the 2018 M-League season because we don't want too many fixture changes to be made, considering that the stadium will be having a hectic event calendar throughout the year.
Besides that, the National Stadium is the main ground of the national football team and it is not right that the neutral venue for all teams is used as the home ground of a certain team, such as in this case of being turned into Selangor's home stadium," wrote the former Selangor FA secretary general.
When met by the press after the fourth and fifth divisions briefing in Damansara on the same day, FMLLP chief executive officer Kevin Ramalingam stated that Selangor will have to find another homeground before the season starts.
"The situation (Selangor playing at the national stadium) would end in major fixture changes and it will be complicated. I will keep in touch with the competitions committee to support Tunku Ismail's view, and at the same time be fair towards Selangor.
"We have to sit together with the committee and assess the available options. We will contact Selangor and view their Plans B and C," remarked Kevin.
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