Sime Darby’s head coach Ismail Zakaria believes that players are far more inclined towards joining corporation-based clubs due to their stable financial management, leading to prompt payment of salaries.
Malaysian football has been plagued with salary payment issues in recent times, with players from a myriad of state teams across the nation, filing reports with the Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia (PFAM) on the failure of their teams to pay them on time.
However, Ismail Zakaria sees no potential for such problems within Sime Darby, claiming that their financial planning is a real asset to the morale of the team in general.
“First of all, money plays a huge role in motivating players,” he told FourthOfficial.com exclusively.
“That is why our management has been integral to our growth. They always ensure that the salaries are paid on time and that we have the money to further fund and improve the team.
“Players need it for their own expenditure, especially those with families. To pay for house and other expenses as well. That is why most players prefer to join corporation-based clubs, because the financial stability is far better, than state teams that sometimes have issues with finance.”
Despite finishing 5th in their debut season in the Super League this year, Ismail is already setting his sights on bigger achievements as far as 2015 is concerned. With their new squad featuring the addition of several experienced names, particularly Marko Perovic, who previously played in the Champions League with FC Basel, Sime Darby are keen on doing better in cup competitions like the FA Cup and the Malaysia Cup.
“Several players from the squad last year were not up to the standards of the Super League, which is why I revamped the squad and brought in some new names.
“So I’m definitely expecting an improvement from the team, especially in the FA Cup as well as in the Malaysia Cup. But of course, I have to be realistic as well. So we’ll see.”
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