KUALA LUMPUR- The Super League champions of this season will receive RM2.4 million in prize money through the 2023-2025 merit-based income distribution system introduced by the Malaysian Football League (MFL).
The introduction of the distribution system also allowed the top six clubs, excluding the champions, to collect more than RM1 million while the bottom teams still carry a winning prize amounting to RM600,000 compared to only RM250,000 last season.
The rate of income distribution to all 14 clubs competing this season saw an increase of 96.55 per cent which is RM15.675 million compared to RM7.975 million distributed to the same 14 clubs in 2022.
MFL chief executive officer (CEO) Stuart Ramalingam said a total of RM6.95 million will be distributed to each club based on their performance at the end of the season while the champions and runners-up of the MFL Cup will receive RM500,000 and RM250,000 respectively.
"This merit-based income distribution system has already been presented to league partners in a meeting with all M-League club CEOs on Feb 15. This system is seen as fairer for clubs that have performed well throughout the 2023 M-League season.
"The presentation that was made receive good reaction and they accepted the proposed income distribution based on merit to be introduced this year," he said in an MFL statement today.
Meanwhile, MFL president Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan said the increase in income distribution to all Super League clubs this season is a positive sign for the development of the domestic competition scene.
He said the MFL saw that the revenue distribution system would encourage all clubs to compete fiercely to get the best position and thus receive more revenue.
"It is MFL's responsibility as the governing body of the league to try to increase the income of the clubs and we believe that with the cooperation of corporate companies and broadcasting partners, the M-League can continue to be commercialised to increase the income of the clubs," he said.
For the record, following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the distribution of income for the 2021 and 2022 seasons is based on two areas, the first being the equal distribution of RM500,000 and RM250,000 respectively to each Super League and Premier League club.
The second principle is that only clubs that finish in the top three of the Super League and Premier League will earn additional prize money. - BERNAMA