Former Malaysia striker Khalid Ali has slammed National Football Development Programme (NFDP) project director Lim Teong Kim for refusing to cooperate with FC Bari 1908.
“I will not accept their (FC Bari) offer because because we (NFDP) have a better system. I have no interest in sending my players to Bari,” Teong Kim said as quoted by Harian Metro.
According to Khalid, the NFDP have shown consistently that their success can be an inspiration to football players all over the country, especially after the Under-13 team defeated Sporting Lisbon in the final of the 2015 Iber Cup in Spain last year. However, he wants the ex-Bayern Munich youth team coach to be more positive for the good of Malaysia.
“Teong Kim’s ways are based on German football,” Khalid Ali said as quoted by Harian Metro.
“Nevertheless, we have to admit that the football system in Italy is successful and it was evidently so when The Azzurri won the FIFA World Cup four times (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006). In addition, the Italy national team have also won the Euros back in 1968.
Khalid Ali, who scored a hattrick during a 6-1 win over Indonesia at the Merdeka Stadium in 1980, expressed his confusion at the issue because Lim Teong Kim chose not to recognize the football system of Bari, who are currently in Serie B, whereas he has a working relationship with Queens Park Rangers (QPR), who are in the Championship in England.
“Why would Lim Teong Kim have a negative attitude towards FC Bari (third in Serie B), who might participate in Serie A next season, when QPR are only a mid-table team?
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