KL City FC Faces Closure Threat Amidst Salary WoesKL City FC Faces Closure Threat Amidst Salary Woes Former Kuala Lumpur Football Association (KLFA) President Khalid Samad has raised concerns about the potential closure of KL City FC due to persistent issues with players’ salary arrears. Khalid warned that the situation will deteriorate if immediate action is not taken, potentially leading to the loss of key players who have grown weary of the financial instability. He pointed out that the club has already lost several notable players, including Bojan Hodak, Kevin Mendoza, Romel Morales, and Akram Mahinan, due to unpaid salaries. “If this continues, KL City will eventually run out of players,” Khalid said. “If Paulo Josue (striker) started complaining, what about the others who are still patient?” Khalid’s concerns stem from a recent statement by Josue, who expressed his frustration over seven months of unpaid wages. Khalid revealed that political maneuvering within the club’s board had also contributed to his resignation and his ongoing efforts to seek justice for the team. Despite the challenges faced by the Malaysian Football League (MFL) during the pandemic, Khalid emphasized that KL City had received RM3 million to settle salary arrears from last year. However, the payment of this money has been delayed due to the absence of a confirmed president. As a result, KL City now faces an additional three months of salary arrears from April 2023 onwards. Khalid stressed that this financial crisis could have dire consequences for the club, potentially leading to its closure if not resolved promptly.
KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 (Bernama) – Former Kuala Lumpur Football Association (KLFA) president Khalid Samad is concerned that Kuala Lumpur (KL) City FC may have to close down if the issue of players’ salary arrears is not resolved.
He said that the situation for KL City will get worse if nothing is done and they risk losing key players who cannot tolerate the current situation.
“This ‘close shop’ situation can happen if it is not handled properly. It is sad for these players because they play without salary. Players get demoralized; previously I lost Bojan Hodak (former head coach), Kevin Mendoza, Romel Morales and Akram Mahinan (players).
“If this continues, KL City will eventually run out of players. If Paulo Josue (striker) started complaining, what about the others who are still patient,” he said at a press conference today.
He was responding to Josue who recently expressed his concerns about his seven months’ salary arrears.
Khalid, who stepped down as KLFA chairman in March, revealed that political maneuvering within the club’s board also forced him to step down and seek justice for the team he once led.
“As we know, the Malaysian Football League (MFL) has made changes to the Malaysian league season, which resulted in no matches or training for the first three months.
“This situation is challenging and complicates the payment of players’ salaries for the last three months of last year, during which we received a warning from MFL,” he said.
However, he noted that RM3 million was received to settle salary arrears (for the last three months of last year) following his resignation.
“But so far, no Senate has been received because the candidate who is seeking the presidency is not there yet,” he said.
Due to this situation, KL City now faces three months of salary arrears from April this year. There were no salary issues for January, February and March as that period was outside the league season.
–BERNAMA
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