PENANG has set a top six target for the newly-promoted Penang Football Club (Penang FC) in the Super League this season.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said he believed the target was a realistic one for the new kid on the block when he launched the official Puma-brand team jerseys at a press conference in Komtar today.
“With the launch of the official Penang FC jerseys today, we hope that this will lift the spirit and morale of the whole team for this season beginning this Saturday.
“Whatever challenges the team may face, we hope they will strive to work hard and attain a commendable place that the Penang football fans can be proud of,” Chow said in his speech.
The Penang FC will kick off their Super League season with a home match against Kuala Lumpur FC at the City Stadium on Saturday (March 6) at 9pm.
Penang, who won the Premier League in 2020, gained promotion to the Super League this season. They have hired a new head coach by the name of Thomas Trucha from the Czech Republic and five imports – striker Arruda da Silva Anselmo, central defender Vitor Rafael and midfielder Endrick dos Santos from Brazil, defender Ryuji Utomo from Indonesia and striker Sheriddin Boboev from Tajikistan.
Silva Anselmo, or better known as Casagrande, won the Silver Boot for being the top scorer in the Premier League last year.
Penang Football Club Sdn Bhd (PFC SB) was registered on Sept 21, 2020 following a letter from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) that only clubs are permitted to take part in AFC club tournaments from this year.
The Penang team previously competed in the FAM tournaments by representing the Football Association of Penang (FAP).
To ensure a smooth running of the PFC team and protect its image, the company is placed as a subsidiary by the Penang state government under the Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI), a state government agency.
Chow also thanked former FAP president Datuk Dr Amar Pritpal Abdullah for his contribution and services.
He said Amar Pritpal, who is also the State Deputy Speaker, has been now appointed as the PFC SB executive director.
Chow said others who have been appointed to sit on the PFC SB board are state executive councillor Soon Lip Chee as chairman, and state Financial Officer Datuk Dr Mohamad Farazi Johari, legal adviser Datuk Norazmi Mohd Narawi, deputy State Secretary (development) Datuk Azhar Arshad, and Bharathi Suppiah (CMI deputy general manager) as members.
They were all also present at the press conference, together with Active Sports Sdn Bhd owner S. Murugeson, whose company is the official sponsor and corporate partner for Puma and CMI assistant manager I Muhammad Al-Hafiz Razali, who is also the Penang FC Sdn Bhd interim manager.
Chow also welcomed sponsors from corporate bodies or businesses after launching the team jerseys – home jersey in dark blue and away jersey in white or yellow.
He said they are considering the selection of sponsors to display and advertise their names on the jerseys.
The sponsorship values, he said, are RM1 million for platinium sponsors, RM750,000 (gold), RM500,000 (silver), RM250,000 (bronze) and RM100,000 (partners).
Chow added that PFC SB would appoint a manager (for the management team) and an accounts executive in April.
Penang FC team manager Ong Eng Hua said his team was a mixture of youth and experience with an average age of 26.
“We have retained 60% of our players from last year’s squad. We’ve promoted three players from the youth squad. We’ve played four friendly games in the last two weeks.
“Now, the players can’t wait for the first match to kick off to show off their talents,” said Ong, who has been the Penang team manger since 2019.
Asked about the target set by Chow, Trucha said the goal is achievable.
“We’ve a good mix of local and foreign players. It’s good to set a goal and we will go for it,” said Trucha, who last coached the AFC Leopards, one of the top teams in Kenya last season.
A year earlier, he had coached the Townsheep Rolles FC from Gaborone, Botswana.
Trucha, 50, began his coaching career at the age of 26 and has had stint as a youth national coach, and an assistant coach to Viktoria Plzen FC from Czech Republic which had participated in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League before.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud
Video by Ahmad Adil Mohamad