It stinks! (The Malay Mail)

MALACCA'S Hungarian soccer coach Laszlo Zalai left abruptly because of the
FA's unprofessional setup and the problems he faced in carrying out his
duties.
This was what prompted him to return to Holland after barely a month in
Malacca and not for the reasons given by the FA.
The 66-year-old Dutch national was shocked to be told that among the
reasons being touted by the Malacca FA were his supposed poor health and
lack of a valid coaching certificate.
The former Hungarian national player angrily refuted these allegations,
saying they were "most insulting".
"I left simply because I could no longer take the unprofessional way
things were being done as it hampered my work as a coach."
Zalai said he had sent a fax to Malacca FA deputy president and team
manager Datuk Yasin Mohamed Sarif's special assistant Yusoff Abu Hassan,
who had been assigned to take care of him, stating his reasons for leaving
without informing anybody.
But Yasin said on Tuesday that Zalai probably left because he could not
produce a proper coaching certificate.
"This isn't true at all," was Zalai's first reaction when contacted at
his home in Holland yesterday.
"I tried very hard to get in touch with Datuk Yasin to explain my
predicament, but he was overseas.
"Sadly, I had to leave without being able to tell him what the actual
situation was."
Zalai said there were two reasons why he quit.
"I was only given a RM1,000 advance when I signed up on Dec 15. I was
given the run-around when I asked for the salary due at the end of
December.
"Each day, I was told that it would be paid the following day. Until the
day I left, I wasn't even paid my half month salary.
"I had to survive on the RM1,000 for 25 days and that was really
difficult.
"The second reason was that my assistant, Ramli Junit, had more powers
than me.
"In a professional setup, the chief coach is the supremo but I didn't
command that authority. I found it very difficult to work under that
situation. I really couldn't tolerate it anymore.
"I am in the best of health and prepared to coach any other team in
Malaysia because I see so much potential in your country. I am sure most
other teams are more professional and better organised."
Zalai said that since he began coaching in 1966 he has travelled far and
wide and coached several top teams but had never encountered the problems
he faced in Malacca.
"To make matters worse, the Malacca FA haven't given the true reason for
my departure and have made me out to be the one at fault.
"To question my coaching credentials is really insulting," said a
furious Zalai.
"I put up my name in the Asian Football Confederation's news magazine
last October looking for a job and AFC were satisfied with my credentials.
"I hope my explanation will give the true perspective on what led to my
quitting so suddenly.
"It was never my intention to run away from my responsibilities or put
the Malacca team in a predicament. I was simply driven away."
This is not the first time that Malacca FA have had problems with their
foreign coach or players.
Last year, Russian striker Roman Khagba left without a word midway
through the season.
Zalai's credentials
* ZALAI has a coaching licence from the German Soccer Federation besides
a diploma in coaching from the University of Sports in Cologne.
* HE was the technical adviser to the Hungarian national team in the
1982 World Cup in Spain.
* HE played in the Hungarian Div One for Spartacue. He also played for
the junior and national team and was a member of the Hungarian 1954 World
Cup side.
* THE top clubs he has coached include DWS Amsterdam and FC Utrecht in
Holland, Kenitra Athletic in Morocco, Spartacue in Hungary and FC Malacam
in Cameroon - to name a few.
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