KUALA LUMPUR – Melaka FC head coach K. Devan has said that the intensity of the A1 Semi-Pro League (previously known as the M3 League) is similar to what he has experienced in the Super League over the years.
The 63-year-old, who has plied his trade in the Super League with his extensive 33 years of coaching experience, joined the south-western club in March this year.
Devan has coached several prominent teams in the Super League, such as Selangor FC, Penang FC and Kelantan FC, as well as the now-disbanded clubs Felda United FC and Petaling Jaya City FC, and boasts a total of 10 domestic titles under his belt.
His last Super League stint was with Negeri Sembilan FC, and he also guided the Jangs to an FA Cup title (2003) and a Super League title (2005/2006 season) during his first stint with the club from 2003 to 2006.
Speaking to Scoop, Devan said that despite his extensive trophy cabinet, he did not want to add pressure to his new job by trying to win the A1 Semi-Pro League with Melaka this season.
“Honestly speaking, though I have achieved success in all the places that I have coached in the Super League, I have no intentions of proving anything with Melaka. I’m here to do my job.
“Coaching in the A1 Semi-Pro League is no different from coaching in the Super League, as the intensity of the league is still the same.
“At the same time, we can’t underestimate the teams that are participating in this league, as all of them have really experienced players.
“I don’t want to think that we are the favourites to win the league, as we still have a long way to go. But looking at our results, we still have a lot to improve despite winning big (4-1) against Gombak FC last week,” said Devan when contacted.
For the record, Melaka have been competing in the A1 Semi-Pro League since the 2023/2024 season after they were booted out by the Malaysian Football League over the club’s failure to pay the salary arrears of players and officials by the set date.
The club finished in 10th place last season with 31 points and currently rank fifth in the league this season after collecting four points from their opening two matches.
The top two teams will make the play-offs to determine which teams will qualify for promotion to the 2025-26 Super League season, while the bottom two teams will be relegated to the A2 League. – June 11, 2024