PETALING JAYA – The Malaysian Football Association appointed Juan Torres Garrido as the new national Under-23 coach, succeeding E. Elavarasan.
Elavarasan stepped down last month after successfully guiding Harimau Malaya to the Under-23 Asian Cup next year in Qatar.
The Spaniard was an assistant to Elavarasan before taking the hot seat. Former national team captain Muhammad Shukor Adan will assist Garrido.
The 42-year-old said he is excited about the opportunity to lead the national Under-23 side.
“For me, of course, it’s an honour, and it’s been almost one year working with this team, so we know each other well.
“Of course, we will focus on the next competition, which is important for us and for FAM.
“So, we start working where we look to get the best result and have the best conditions for the preparation,” he said at a press conference at Wisma FAM today.
Also present at the press conference were FAM deputy president Datuk S. Sivasundaram, secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman, and technical director Scott O’Donell.
Sivasundaram said that there have not been any KPIs set for the new coach, but the squad must do their best at the U23 Asian Cup.
When asked why Garrido was appointed now as opposed to having him take the feeder squad from the beginning, the deputy president said that they followed the advice of the national coach, Kim Pan-gon.
A total of four local coaches were interviewed to fill the assistant coach’s slot before Shukor was appointed. They were Mohd Nidzam Jamil, Rusdi Suparman, Akmal Rizal Rakhli, and Shukor himself.
Garrido welcomes Shukor’s appointment, saying that his background as a former national team captain can be inspiring for the youngsters.
“I recently met Shukor, and I think he can mix well because of his abilities.
“He is a natural leader and has shown an interest in combining our skills in a technical style, and that is important. He can have a good impact on the team,” said Garrido, who has spent the last 15 years dedicated to talent development and identification in different professional clubs in Spain.
At the same time, O’Donnell echoes Garrido’s sentiment on Shukor, adding that his mentality impressed FAM the most during the interviews.
“I’m good friends with (former KL City FC coach) Bojan Hodak, and he speaks highly of Shukor.
“That is why he brought him into KL City. In our discussions, we thought he would be the perfect assistant to provide his expertise, and he is just about to finish his A licence.
“Shukor will be a good addition and will be very helpful for Garrido and his team of coaches,” said the Australian. – October 12, 2023
