Malaysian media reported that the public opinion of this country's football is speculating about the possibility of coach Aurelio Vidmar Cklamovski saying goodbye to the national team after the match against Nepal on November 18, in the context that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is pursuing a lawsuit with the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding FIFA's penalty for naturalized players.
Explaining the origin of the rumors, Malaysian football expert Zulakbal Abd Karim said that the instability related to FAM in recent times could directly affect the plans of coach Cklamovski.
He commented that the Australian coach is still a prestigious face thanks to his achievements with the Malaysian team, including the victory over the Vietnamese team after more than a decade.
According to Mr. Zulakbal, the risk of losing 7 naturalized players, the possibility of being deducted points by AFC and the risk of not qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup makes coach Cklamovski consider looking for a new option.
In response to the widespread information, an insider of the Malaysian team confirmed that this was just speculation. According to this source, coach Cklamovski is still maintaining preparations for the match against Nepal and has planned for the match against the Vietnam team on March 31, 2026.
Mr. Yusoff Mahadi - Acting President of FAM spoke up to deny the fact that coach Cklamovski was about to leave the national team, but also did not give a definitive confirmation.
Regarding FIFA's sanctions, Mr. Yusoff said that FAM is waiting for official documents to consider the possibility of appealing to CAS. As of the morning of November 16, FAM has not yet confirmed whether it has received a document from FIFA or not.
Some opinions in Malaysia suggest that FAM may postpone the decision until after the match against Nepal, when coach Cklamovski's future is clearer.
According to the regulations, FAM has 10 days to request a written decision and then 21 days to consider appealing to CAS.
