Kelantan have moved swiftly to replace K. Devan as they announced the appointment of Velizar Popov as their head coach earlier today.
The 40 year-old Bulgarian will assume his role with immediate effect, as he seeks to revive Kelantan’s turbulent fortunes within the Malaysia Super League.
Popov’s has an impressive Asian CV, having achieved plenty of success in Maldives. His first stint in the region came in 2012, when he was hired by Maldivian club New Radiant, to be their head coach.
In just his first season, Popov led New Radiant to the Dhivehi Premier League title, winning all their games en route to the triumph. He also helped them perform impressively in the AFC Cup, which eventually led to him being awarded the Coach of the Year Award in Maldives.
He went on two have short stints with Sur Sports Club in Oman as well as Suphanburi in Thailand, before returning to Maldives to become their national team boss – a post he only held for approximately eight months.
Kelantan fans will now be hoping to see Popov revitalize their squad, though it remains to be seen how he copes with internal politics involving Tan Sri Annuar Musa and Datuk Vida, who is the principal sponsor of Kelantan.
Do you think Popov is the man to revive Kelantan? Let us know by commenting below!
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