CHINI (Pahang): Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday spoke of the possibility of Malaysian footballers playing for the Malaysian-owned Cardiff City FC team of Wales which has secured promotion to the English Premier League (EPL) next season.
The prime minister said Malaysian footballers could be allowed to play for the Welsh team to gain experience playing top-level football.
Children of Felda settlers had been sent to Cardiff City for training and we could send them again to Cardiff to enable them play at a higher level, he said when opening the Felda Industrial and Recreational Complex near here.
In November last year, 50 children of Felda settlers were sent to the Cardiff City Football Academy in Wales for exposure, and they trained with youths of the academy and participated in friendly matches with local teams.
The club, the jersey of which sports the word “Malaysia”, is owned by Malaysian tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan, and has ended a 51-year wait to play in the top league.
Najib also said that footballers earned lucrative salaries nowadays.
The prime minister said he hoped that Felda United, which played in the local Super League, would be able to win a title in the Malaysia League this season.
In a lighter vein, he said: “Felda has progressed much but not Felda United.”
Felda United is second from the bottom in a list of 12 teams playing in the Super League.
It has secured only 11 points from 13 matches. — Bernama