KUALA LUMPUR – Melaka FC finds itself between a rock and a hard place, as the club may not be able to afford to compete in the 2025/2026 Super League despite qualifying for the top-tier league due to financial challenges.
Melaka qualified for next season’s Super League after becoming champions of the A1 Semi-Pro MBSB Bank Championship (second division) with two games in hand.
Melaka, under the guidance of experienced K. Devan, collected 65 points this season, eight points ahead of Immigration FC, which has 57 points. The club’s remaining matches are against Bungaraya Damansara on February 7 and Machan on February 22.
Speaking to Scoop, Melaka FC president Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad said that despite the team qualifying for the top-tier league on merit, the club still requires approximately RM 7 million to compete and remain financially stable for next season.
He said that he wants Melaka to avoid having issues such as late or default payment of salaries and other financial burdens later.
Reports indicate that several other clubs, including Sri Pahang FC, Perak FC, Sabah FC, Kelantan Darul Naim FC, and Kedah FC, have been struggling with salary arrears since the start of the current Super League season.
Azmi also revealed that the club still lacks support from corporate sectors and is currently relying on state government funds.
“It will not be easy for us to remain stable in that league given our current financial challenges. We need to secure the necessary funds, and we have yet to make any proper arrangements with corporate sponsors.
“If we push ahead and compete in the Super League next season, we will face even more difficulties. I do not want to damage the image of this club due to our inability to provide players with higher salaries or raises. Since they have now qualified for the Super League, we must give them a pay rise, but we need to secure the funds before moving forward.
“After calculating, we found that we need at least RM 7 million to keep ourselves running for next season’s campaign. Before we resolve these matters, we may have to spend one more season in the A1 League or discuss alternative steps with the Malaysian Football League (MFL),” said Azmi when contacted.
At the same time, Azmi is confident that, despite a potential skip to the Super League next season, his players will remain loyal and committed to the club and not seek opportunities elsewhere.
He said that in the footballing world, it is common for financially stable clubs to sign top players from clubs that are financially struggling or newly promoted.
Melaka currently has 30 players in their squad, with 24 local players and six foreigners.
“My players won’t leave. Even if they do, they will face difficulties at other clubs, as reports suggest that even clubs that seem financially stable are struggling to pay their players.
“Although we don’t have enough funds to compete in the Super League, we still pay our players’ salaries on time and provide them with bonuses for their efforts in recent years,” he said. – February 5, 2025
“I’m confident that my players will stay, and I will try to reward them for qualifying for the Super League by securing corporate sponsors,” Azmi added. – February 6, 2025