Stunned by his removal as coach of the national Under-22 football team, Frank Bernhardt is ready for showdown talks with FA of Malaysia officials
FRANK Bernhardt is set to have showdown talks with FA of Malaysia (FAM) officials over his future role, if any, in the new national coaching set-up.
The German was stunned to hear that he has been replaced as coach of the national Under-22 team by Ong Kim Swee, who in turn was demoted from the national senior team, while in Dubai for a tournament.
The changes were announced by new FAM president Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim following his election at the congress in Petaling Jaya on Saturday.
Bernhardt, who returned with the national Under-22 squad from Dubai yesterday, was in no position to shed light on what is going to happen next after claiming nobody from FAM has been in touch with him.
“I heard from the media but I have not heard anything personally or information from FAM,” said Bernhardt at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport yesterday.
“I just read about it online and we will have to speak over the next days. I have to understand this and discuss it and after that we can talk more.”
Bernhardt admitted that the timing of the decision could not have come at a worse time.
“It is news and things happen when something changes,” he said. “Everywhere is like this. New people are in charge and they want to change things. It can happen but it is a situation I have to deal with but as I said I have to speak first (with FAM).
“It was not maybe the perfect date but we cannot change anything. This was planned a long time, the election was on this date and we were in Dubai. I was not here and I heard it from the media.”
Asked if he had any inkling that his time was up, Bernhardt said he only heard whispers in the corridors.
“I have only heard rumours before that this was the plan but nothing had been confirmed,” he claimed.
“Nobody contacted me. I only read about it and saw video clips.”
Tunku Ismail said on Saturday that he will meet the German to discuss his options while claiming that Bernhardt’s philosophy did not agree with him.
Bernhardt, however, would have liked to have seen his assignment through to the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games in August where he had been tasked to deliver the gold medal.
“I have prepared the team for a year and sure I want to finish and take them forward,” he said. “But at the moment it’s another situation.
“The team was never a problem, only some situation with FAM’s side or other problems which came up that we had to cancel plans, trips or camps.
“Since I have never spoken (with Tunku Ismail), I don’t know how my philosophy is different from his. So I cannot say.”
The Under-22 team returned from the Dubai Cup after playing four games where they beat Singapore 3-1, drew 1-1 with China and lost 4-0 to both Thailand and Jordan.