KUALA LUMPUR – Outgoing national head coach Pau Marti Vicente has no immediate plans to return to Spain and is committed to staying in Malaysia for now.
Pau Marti said that he intends to spend Christmas with his family and will begin preparing for his next move when the time comes.
“I love Malaysia, and I have no plans to return to Spain for now. My family is here, and my kids enjoy schooling in this country.
“Spending Christmas with my family is my main priority as it’s something I’ve been longing to do for many years. Now that I have the opportunity, I want to make the most of it.
“The memories I’ve created in this country are something I will cherish for the rest of my life, and I’m happy that I played a small role under former head coach Kim Pan-gon in helping qualify for the 2023 Asian Cup on merit after 42 years.
His response came after his side was eliminated from the ongoing Asean Cup following a 0-0 draw against arch-rivals Singapore at Bukit Jalil National Stadium yesterday.
Malaysia finished third in Group A with five points, failing to reach the semifinals as one of the top two teams from the group.
The biennial tournament was the final assignment given to the Spaniard by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), with incoming head coach Peter Cklamovski set to take over in January next year.
“For me, these players are the best I’ve coached, and I only hope that when the new head coach (Cklamovski) comes in, he can take the team to even greater heights with his expertise.
“Wherever I am, whether in Malaysia or Spain, I will forever support Harimau Malaya with my heart and soul,” said Pau Marti in a post-match press conference yesterday.
Pau Marti also expressed his disappointment at failing to secure a win in his final match in charge of Harimau Malaya in front of the home fans.
“It’s sad and I’m disappointed that I couldn’t end on a high note in front of the home fans. When we played in the Merdeka Cup with fewer fans, we managed to win – but today, 31,127 fans attended and we couldn’t deliver.
“Perhaps if all the clubs had released their players for the tournament, we would have had a different outcome, but I prefer not to make excuses.
“Overall, I’m proud of my players for their dedication and commitment throughout the tournament, and I wish them all the best in their future endeavours,” Pau Marti added.
Pau Marti, who replaced Kim Pan-gon as head coach in July, recently led Malaysia to victory in the Merdeka Cup with a squad averaging 25 years of age.
Malaysia last won the Asean Cup in 2010 under then-head coach Datuk K. Rajagopal. – December 21, 2024
