KUALA LUMPUR: The proposal by the local football league administrators, Malaysia Football League (MFL), to introduce an expenditure quota system for teams as a means of addressing debts incurred has been well received by many teams that compete in the Malaysia League (M-League).
Among the teams that have welcomed such a proposal are 33-time Malaysia Cup champions Selangor, who believe that such a mechanism which was initially implemented in Spain’s La Liga will be able to curb and address the issue of salary arrears as well as the loopholes that teams may have in terms of managing finances.
"This is actually a very good move (expenditure quota). It is a very good start to address the salary arrears issue as well as loopholes in terms of managing of finances which includes how funds from sponsorships and grants are spent or used.
"Because if a team does not manage its finances properly then it is the players who end up feeling the pinch and suffering. The players are professionals and playing the beautiful game is their rice bowl.
"So it is unfair if the players end up suffering financially because of debts and loopholes in the team’s management of finances. When there is strict control concerning management of finances for each and every team, hopefully there will not be any more financial problems or issues plaguing teams and so on so forth,” said Selangor team manager, Datuk Abdul Rauf Ahmad when met after the launching ceremony for the team’s first and second jerseys here earlier today (Saturday).
According to NSTP Sports report yesterday (Friday), MFL are contemplating implementing La Liga’s method of addressing teams’ financial problems and debts by introducing the expenditure quota system which would help to control and keep teams’ finances and spending in check, for all 24 teams that compete in the Malaysia League (M-League) from next year onwards.
It is seen as a good move in the right direction following the revelation by FA of Malaysia (FAM) secretary-general, Stuart Ramalingam, who admitted that the local league here in the country has one of the highest reported cases of salary arrears issues among Asian countries.
In Spain’s La Liga, the implementation of the expenditure quota system helped teams to avoid salary arrears issues as teams could not just simply spend all their funds as and how they please.
In fact, since it was implemented in La Liga in 2012, the Spanish league administrators managed to help teams clear their respective debts from €90 million (RM423 million) to being debt-free in 2017.
For Felda United secretary-general Zulkarnain Muhamad, he too welcomes such a proposal and is ready to support the implementation of such a system by MFL.
“It is a very good move indeed. This is what I can say after getting to know of it from MFL, because it will ensure that the management of all competing teams plan their finances and expenditure carefully for the long run.
“Our team Felda has no problems whatsoever in following and adhering to such a system if it is implemented because it will help us to control our expenditure and promote good finance practices if it is indeed enforced by MFL.
“We ourselves endured some salary arrears issues towards the end of last season and if this quota system comes into play, we are confident that all the teams can indeed be free of debts and salary arrears issues,” added Zulkarnain.