KUALA LUMPUR: Former national player Khalid Ali has slammed Johor Darul Ta'zim's (JDT) Safiq Rahim for swearing at the team's critics after their 2-0 win over Kedah in the Malaysia Cup final yesterday.
The incident happened when JDT players were celebrating their victory, and it was caught on camera and has gone viral.
Khalid said Safiq should not have behaved in such a manner as he is a public figure who is looked up to by many, including children.
"I believe he was letting out his frustration towards his critics but as the captain of both JDT and the national team, it was not a good thing to do," said Khalid.
"It was quite surprising to see him behaving in such a way towards the (Kedah) fans and his critics.
"In my 40 years as a player, I have never heard of any player swearing at fans.
"I had even played alongside the late Datuk Mokhtar Dahari, we never lashed out at fans, though we did so at our opponents (players) on the pitch."
Translated from Harian Metro