5 Steps FAM Can Learn from JDT’s Recent Success
The Southern Tigers blueprint to success is something that should be studied. Yes, FAM we mean you…
Johor Darul Ta'zim’s (JDT) success in domestic and regional football is something to be admired. Getting stronger day by day, the club underwent a transformation on and beyond the pitch, which eventually earned them back-to-back wins in the Malaysian Super League (MSL) in 2014 and 2015 as well as the prestigious AFC Cup last year.
Their recent run in club football has also seen JDT surge up the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) rankings. Based on their regional campaign in the AFC Cup as well as in the domestic league, JDT are now ranked as the 152nd best football club in the world, a notch above both AC Milan and Southampton!
JDT’s achievements in football are down to a few simple steps, which have been laid down by its former president and the royal patron of the Johor Football Association,Tengku Mahkota Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim (TMJ). And these are steps that can easily be followed by both MSL and the nation’s governing body, FAM if they so choose in order to improve the standards of the professional game here in Malaysia. Here’s how…
Invest, Invest, Invest
Football is an expensive sport and some may argue that Johor is fortunate to have the backing of someone with deep coffers. But money alone can’t buy success; it also involves a lot of planning, restructuring and ensuring all that Ringgit is put to good use. TMJ set out to do the club right by upgrading the facilities of its Larkin Stadium, bringing in foreign expertise in the back room and putting into play an elaborate plan to build a new training facility and stadium along with a youth academy, which will find and ensure new talents are groomed for the game.
Fruitful Partnerships
Collaborations and partnerships are common place in football especially if it’s designed to help improve the game and marketability of both parties. JDT is fortunate to count on the latter thanks to a partnership with German giants Borussia Dortmund, who have entered into a long-term development programme with the Southern Lions. Under the agreement, both clubs will share football knowledge,training information, tactical ideas and exchange young players. For Johor fans, it also presents an opportunity to see one of the world’s best clubs face off against their home team, which they did in a friendly back in July 2015.
Go Pro
FAM and fellow MSL clubs can take a page out of TMJ’s playbook in establishing a marketable football club. Granted, JDT’s success in the domestic league and their recent AFC Cup victory has made the club more appealing towards sponsors but collectively this could pave the way for a more marketable-friendly league. TMJ is also spearheading a movement to urge MSL clubs to relook and fight for their share of broadcast rights, which could open up potentially lucrative streams for each club.
Luring Football Talent
The retooling of JDT and its quest for silverware has lured in not just foreign talent on the pitch but domestic players as well. National players like Safiq Rahim and Amri Yahyah featured in the squad along with upstarts Junior Eldstal and Gary Steven Robbat. They played side by side with a string of quality foreigners like Argentine Luciano Figueroa and Brazilian Marcos Antonio who not only helped bring success to the club but also lifted the game of their local counterparts.
Legitimise The Game
JDT’s climb up the IFFHS rankings and AFC Cup win have proven that Malaysian football is back on the right track. It’s provided a badly needed wake up call for local fans to sit up and take notice of the local game once more. The remodelling of JDT byTMJ into a professionally run club has reaped rewards and it should continue to do so in the years ahead, and it will undoubtedly help make Malaysian Football credible again.
JDT’s success in football is certainly no fluke and it’s presented a workable template for other clubs and teams to follow.
Both JDT and TMJ’s principles for football can also be applied to the upcomingNeymar Jr’s 5 tournament. A new spin on football, the exhilarating tourney delivers a shot of adrenaline to the beautiful game for both players and spectators
Credit : http://www.redbull.com/my/en/stories/1331772107198/5-steps-fam-can-learn-from-johor-southern-tigers-recent-success
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