KUALA LUMPUR – Johor Darul Ta’zim owner, Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, admits that the club face the same financial challenges as their Super League rivals.
In an episode of the podcast Keluar Sekejap, aired last night with former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin and ex-Umno information chief Shahril Sufian Hamdan, Tunku Ismail said that JDT encounter difficulties in managing the club’s necessities, despite having strong backing from international funders.
“It’s not easy to run a football club because it requires substantial financial investment, with relatively modest returns.
“Although JDT has many international collaborations, we do face struggles.
“There have been instances when His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar and I had to use our own money to support the club to pay our 32 players, which can be quite frustrating sometimes,” he said.
At the same time, Tunku Ismail expressed his pride in JDT’s performance despite the financial constraints and hopes that his team will continue to participate in the Asian Champions League (ACL) in the years to come.
“To be honest, the financial pressures in the football world, especially in our country, are substantial.
“But what keeps me going is my passion and love for this sport, although I might one day say ‘enough’.
“However, despite these challenges, I’m really proud of how far our club has progressed and that we are on the right track.
“We’ve performed admirably in the ACL, and my realistic goal for the club is to qualify for the quarter-finals in this competition in the years to come.
“Furthermore, I’m pleased that our winning mentality extends to other sports activities in Johor, as we became the overall champions in the Malaysian School Sports Council and the Malaysia Games.
“We’ve also had success with our ice hockey and motor racing teams, so I hope this winning mentality continues for us to achieve more in the future,” Tunku Ismail added.
JDT achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first club to win 10 consecutive league titles, following a resounding 4-0 victory over PDRM FC at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri last month.
Their dominance also extended to the FA Cup, which they retained in July by defeating Kuala Lumpur City 2-0 in the final.
In addition to football, JDT are involved in futsal, polo and boxing, alongside ice hockey and motor racing. – October 30, 2023