KUALA LUMPUR: Thank you Mr Bert van Marwijk for your criticism.
That was the response from Malaysia Stadium Corporation (MSC) after the much vaunted Dutch coach expressed his disappointment with the condition of the field at the national stadium.
Van Marwijk, the coach of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), made his comments after the Arabia team beat Malaysia 2-1 in a pre-World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
MSC chief executive officer Nik Razeen Daud said they appreciate van Marwijk’s comments but stressed that they have not been idling on the issue but working on a project that could take five to six months.
“We thank the coach for his comments. We are aware there are some issues (regarding the pitch) but we’ve been working on it since the FA Cup final (July 27). We’ve engaged a number of people including consultants from Singapore, and are waiting for the ones from the United Kingdom,” he said.
Van Marwijk, who took the Netherlands to second place in the 2010 World Cup, had said after the match: “Firstly, I want to congratulate you (Malaysia) on the beautiful stadium, one of the most beautiful stadiums that I have seen in the world. Only, it’s a pity that you have this pitch. You cannot play really fast football.”