South Korean coach Kim Pan Gon has terminated his contract with Malaysia’s national football team, Harimau Malaya. The President of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has been outspoken about his views on the coach’s departure.
According to Bernama, Datuk Hamidin Amin described Kim Pan Gon’s reason for leaving as “unprofessional” because the South Korean coach’s departure left the governing body at a disadvantage.
Hamidin felt these were just excuses
Hamidin shared his thoughts, saying that the former national football team head coach Kim Pan Gon was dishonest about his resignation.
Hamidin also revealed that a few days before Pan Gon’s departure, the South Korean coach repeatedly insisted on leaving the national team due to family issues.
Pan-Gon had already decided to join Ulsan HD FC
Hamidin said that without his knowledge, the 55-year-old coach had already been in talks and decided to join Ulsan Hyundai (HD) FC.
He expressed his disappointment further, noting that Pan Gon’s press conference cited several reasons for his exit, including difficulties in securing the national players he wanted.
“I received a call saying he had already been negotiating with South Korean club Ulsan Hyundai (HD) FC, so that’s the situation. His professionalism was lacking here.”
FAM didn’t take any legal action against Pan Gon
In a press conference, Hamidin went on to express his disappointment that FAM ended up being taken advantage of, as Pan Gon left for a better offer and gave misleading reasons for his departure.
He emphasised that FAM had been supportive and could not be blamed for the situation.
He also mentioned that despite Pan Gon’s resignation, FAM decided not to pursue legal action because of his contributions to the national team.
“We value his services, so no legal steps were taken, even though we could have sought compensation for one and a half years. My main disappointment is that he wasn’t honest and should have been more transparent,” he added.
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