KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 – Long-serving Australian coach, Mehmet Durakovic has quit as the head coach of Perak FC citing “family commitments” as his reason although the M-League is set to kick off in less than two weeks.
The bombshell has left the football fraternity, especially die-hard Perak fans and supporters puzzled, but they are aware that it has not been smooth sailing for Perak football since the collapse of the Perikatan Nasional in December last year.
The resignation of Perak FA president, Datuk Ahmad Faizal Azumu early this year further drove home the message that all is not well with the game in Perak.
Perak was even contemplating pulling out its feeder squad, Perak II from the Premier League. That was until Monday before they decided that Perak II will compete.
Montenegro-born Durakovic is reportedly the highest-paid coach in the M-League and the change of the state administration has hit the FA’s coffers hard.
It is learned that finance was a critical factor in Mehmet quitting his post.
The former Australian international has been missing from training since Feb 15 but, Perak FC board member. Khairul Shahril Mohamed tried to cover-up Durakovic’s absence with a commonly used excuse ”maybe he is not well” – typical of a politician.
Reported to be the highest-paid football coach in the M-League, Durakovic’s exit from the Bos Gaurus is a real shocker when the team is scheduled to face Petaling Jaya City at the Perak Stadium in Ipoh on March 7.
The new man in charge of the team is Chong Yee Fatt (pic left) who was Perak’s assistant coach to well-known German Karl Heinz Weigang from 2011-2013 and in 2017.
It is left to be seen if Yee Fatt can wave his magic and gel the team to his style of playing and only a positive result against P. Maniam’s outfit can win the fans.