SHAH ALAM - A new Malaysian Super League (MSL) format featuring 14 teams, but without a second-tier could hamper the development of football in the country if prolonged, Perak FC head coach Datuk Lim Teong Kim said today.
He said the M-League situation, depleted by withdrawals of teams and ejections due to financial issues with persistent controversy over non-payment of players' salaries, had left many players without jobs.
"For me the new league is good but without the second tier league it could affect the development of our national football. This is because many of our players needed time to develop and now don't have this chance,” he said, speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the Federal Territories Minister's Cup against Kuala Lumpur City FC tomorrow.
Lim stressed that his statement was not criticism but rather a fact.