Malaysia will boot foreign players out of its domestic league next season to save cash and develop its flagging national game.
Soccer federation chiefs meeting at the weekend unanimously agreed that clubs' reliance on highly-paid foreign imports was shutting out local talent and weakening the national team.
"We are not at the status of English Premier League, our league is not matured yet, therefore some drastic measures must be taken to improve it," the federation's deputy president, Khairy Jamaluddin, told local reporters.
"With the presence of foreign players, local players have not been given the opportunity (to develop)."
Officials also said most of the foreigners were past their prime and clubs were struggling to pay their high salaries.
"(Clubs) can't cope, so it is best that we do away with foreign players until the problems are solved," one committee member told the Star newspaper.
Federation officials also cited a government report that suggested many of those involved in match-fixing in the Malaysian Super League were foreigners, with Africans the worst offenders.
The Super League, launched amid great fanfare in 2004, has done little to improve Malaysia's national team, which is ranked a lowly 166th in FIFA's world rankings.
double edge sword. me think msia still need 2-3 players on each side, otherwise, kampong boys play with each other also can improve meh?
malaysia boleh la
What foreign players do they have? Africans?
I support this move. Look at our S-league? How are our local standard going to improve with so many foreigner?
wait for ronaldinho to turn 50 then we give him citizenship so we can win more SEA games ![]()
Originally posted by CannyOng:I support this move. Look at our S-league? How are our local standard going to improve with so many foreigner?
pardon me.. but if you ask me i kinda feel that there are more consistence supply of local talents these days then in our malaysia cup days..
having better foreigners would somehow improve local talents given that they'll have someone to look forward to and learn how to play against them to develop and mature their skill..
i agree this is double edge sword.
everyday u train with players from kampong skill. how to improve?
on the otherhand, they player with foreign player for decades already but they and we still havent improve abit. oh well, some ppl might argue we singapore improve dispite losing 7-3 to ubekz and smaller margin to saudis.
Haha. Close door policy. Good for them. Let them deprove