Raul Longhi’s days as the Johor Darul Takzim coach are numbered as club owner Major General Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim revealed the impending return of former coach Ulisses Morais.
In a posting on the Southern Tigers Facebook, the Johor Crown Prince said the Portuguese coach’s return is the reason why he did not sign any new coach.
“Morais had to step down as the JDT coach to settle his family issues back home in Portugal. Whilst waiting for Morais to return, Raul’s role in JDT is as caretaker.
“That is the reason why I have not signed any new coach. Personally, for me, Raul is a great coach. He knows the local players better than anyone at this club as he has been working here for a long time.
“Adding to this as caretaker, Raul and his assistant Ismail Ibrahim are the best for the job because they know the players and they understand Malaysian football,” said Tunku Ismail.
Tunku Ismail, however, added that Raul and Ismail do have their limitations and has not set any high hopes on Raul and Ismail, as they are caretakers.
“I feel that among the coaches I have worked with since the transformation of JDT, he (Morais) is the easiest I have worked with and he is the best…not just in terms of tactics and playing style but also the way he treats and gets along with the players individually.
“I have learned a lot from him and I am confident someday he will return,” said Tunku Ismail.
The Johor prince reiterated that JDT is an ambitious club and have never retained players who are”not performing” to the club’s expectations.
“This is JDT, always creating history. We will wait and see in coming days. We have picked up two foreign players, who, I believe, are not better than the local players.”
Leaders JDT face Perak in a top of the table clash at the Larkin Stadium in Johor Bahru this Saturday. The four-time Super League champions are on top with 29 points after 12 matches while Perak has 23 points.RIZAL ABDULLAH
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