THE Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has appointed Paul Marti Vicente as the caretaker coach for Harimau Malaya following the resignation of Kim Pan Gon.
Vicente, who holds a UEFA professional license, has previously served as assistant coach for Barcelona’s youth teams Adelaide United and Kitchee SC. Despite his impressive credentials, his lack of experience with national teams has raised eyebrows.
Vicente, who was Pan Gon’s assistant, is now tasked with preparing the national team for upcoming international assignments.
Football observer Sadek Mustaffa has voiced concerns over FAM’s decision, drawing parallels to the recent disappointment with another untested coach, Juan Torres Garrido, during the Under-23 Asian Cup in Qatar this past April.
“FAM has no contingency plans and this could be detrimental for the national team,” said Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Sports Science and Recreation senior lecturer Mustaffa.
He added that Vicente must achieve immediate success, with the Merdeka Tournament from Sept 2-10 being crucial for setting the tone of his career.
“Pan Gon showed his tactical abilities in the 3-3 draw with South Korea in the Asian Cup. His man management skills made him well-liked among his players. The South Korean also had good communication with clubs to secure the release of their players for centralised training and tournaments,” noted the lecturer.
“Although Vicente comes with a good recommendation from Pan Gon, he has big shoes to fill. He could be a good trainer, but being a head coach is not easy, as there are so many aspects to handle.”
Moreover, Mustaffa pointed out challenges Vicente will face including winning over fans, gaining support from clubs for player releases, and devising a plan to maximise his players’ potential.
He is of the view that a seasoned coach is needed to manage these internal and external pressures effectively.
Commenting on Pan Gon’s departure, Sadek said the South Korean coach had done his best and seemed to be not the same since returning from the Doha Asian Cup in January.
“Pan Gon is leaving Malaysia with a good CV. Harimau Malaya’s ranking improved to No. 130 under him. I feel he could have thought that he reached the glass ceiling with Malaysia, so he left for other challenges.” – July 17, 2024
Main photo credit: Semuanya Bola
