By Suresh Nair

THE rising football fairy-tale of Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT) can be summed up in a 15-letter
word: Professionalism.
In JDT Sporting Director Alistair Edwards’ rousing words: Train like a professional. Eat like
a professional. Drink like a professional. Tweet like a professional.
This is the second part of a three-part series on Malaysia’s fastest-rising football club to
highlight that the mind-set of a professional is as important to building a world-class football
infrastructure of state-of-the-arts facilities.

During the recent three-hour visit to JDT, with former Singapore award-winning coach Jita
Singh, Edwards critically showed that the high-end degree of professionalism is clear to see at
the new training facility Padang Sri Gelam, which must rank as the “jewel” of a state-of-the-
art training ground, over 8,000 square metre training vicinity.
Hats off to the JDT that it’s a unique one-of-a-kind landmark infrastructure: The first
world-class football training facility ever built in Malaysia and the first of its kind in
South-east Asia.
Besides the indoor synthetic field measuring 16m by 109.2m, the high-tech sports building
comes with the latest gym equipment, a swimming pool and ice baths similar to those available
at the biggest European clubs for the players’ usage.
This is perfectly tuned in line to the vision of HRH Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, the
football-fanatic Crown Prince of Johor, who wants international-level training equipment for
the players and to help those who are injured to recover faster.
“The training pitch and overall infrastructure is compatible with the highest of FIFA
requirements. This is a special gift by Tunku Ismail (or Tunku Mahkota Johor, TMJ, as he is
known across the Causeway), to the younger generation of Johorean players to reach global
standards,” said Edwards.
It was named Dato Suleiman Mohd Noor Indoor Training Centre as a special recognition and
appreciation for his contribution as the “Father of Johor Football” in February 2016. It was
officially opened on April 21 2016.

ROLE-MODEL EXAMPLE
Edwards says: “A top club needs a top academy. This will allow JDT to attract more high-
profile talents from around Malaysia to our academy because the younger players know they
can develop to their best potential with state-of-the-arts facilities. It’s just like going to a top
university for your education.”
The former Australian striker, who played when Johor won the “double” in the 1991
season, spells out that great footballers don’t just appear from nowhere, as if by magic.
The best players in the world, whether it’s Lionel Messi, Gareth Bale, Neymar or
Cristiano Ronaldo, played football from a very young age and then learned the finer
points of football at a professional soccer academy.
Taking plenty of leafs from the best clubs in the world and bringing the technical and tactical
know-how to Malaysia is one of Edwards’ ambitious visions in order to fire up JDT as the role-
model example, not only for Malaysia, but also South-east Asia.
Edwards has an AFC/FFA Advanced Licence Coach Instructor and has conducted numerous
Advanced Pathway coaching courses for the FFA (Football Federation of Australia) and the
AFC. In August 2009, he was appointed to the position of FFA Assistant Technical Director,
working alongside Dutchman Han Berger.
His dual role at the FFA included the assistant coach role to the Young Socceroo where he
worked alongside Jan Verslijen, he then progressed to the head coach role of the Under-17
team, the ‘Joeys’. Edwards had earlier coached at two FIFA Under-20 World Championships
with the ‘Young Matildas’.
Edwards cites, for example, the Real Madrid City, which in 2005, built what he calls the “the
greatest sporting facility ever built by a football club”. The project was designed by legendary
architects Carlos Lamela and Emilio Butragueño.
The complex is situated in one of the most promising areas for the future of the city of Madrid,
the Valdebebas Park, the largest urban development project in the history of the community of
Madrid and one of the green areas that will help the city to breathe in the future. It covers
approximately 1,067 hectares of land and is a short distance from the nearby Terminal 4 of
Madrid-Barajas Airport, which was opened a few months after the Real Madrid City.
Mind you, the complex has an area of 1,200,000 m2. It is 10 times bigger than the old Real
Madrid Sports City, 40 times bigger than the Santiago Bernabéu, 16 times bigger than
Red Square in Moscow, 2.7 times bigger than the Vatican City and 1.6 times bigger than
the Forbidden City in Beijing.

JDT has infused a number of the world-class infrastruture ideas from TMJ’s visits to the top
European clubs to Johor, especially with the training facility at Padang Seri Gelam, with the
latest and most high-tech equipment, to get the players to rise to the big occasion.
Towards the mission and vision of JDT, to have the best facilities and infrastructure in South-
east Asia, this facility has state-of-the-art dressing rooms, gymnasiums, classrooms, conference
rooms, offices, hydrotherapy pools and medical centre and even a media area.Hours after
ushering in 2015, the Johor FA added yet another feather to its cap with another first in
Malaysian football by laying the groundwork for a purpose-built indoor training pitch – giving
the “Southern Tigers” a pleasant new year present.
Johor FA president HRH Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, the Crown Prince of Johor,
officiated the ground breaking ceremony for the training pitch at Sri Gelam here today.

It is another shot in the arm for football in Johor after Johor DarulTakzim (JDT), known as the
Southern Tigers, won the 2014 Super League title. JDT also finished runners-up in the
prestigious Malaysia Cup, while in the FA Cup, JDT reached the semi-finals.

The indoor training pitch is fully sponsored by Iskandar Waterfront HoldingsSdn Bhd (IWH)
under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme. IWH is also one of the major
sponsors of Johor FA.
The FIFA approved standard sized football pitch comes with the latest state-of-the-art design
and facilities which will take the game to a higher level, not only in Johor but also in the
country.

The training pitch comes with design and facilities built according to FIFA requirements. The
indoor facility will enable players to train and hone their skills come rain or shine. Also to be
added will be a Medical Centre for “recuperation and rehabilitation” of players from injuries.

Other facilities to be added will be a Medical Centre for “recuperation and rehabilitation” of
players from injuries.
This project is another “pit stop “for HRH Tunku Ismail on a journey that began two years ago
to turn Johor into a power house in the game not only in the country but also in the Asian
region. He firmly believes that the millions he has invested will reap dividends.

“You need to have the best infrastructure and facilities to thrive in this game. Success does not
come overnight, but the transformation taking place in Johor football is on the right track to
bring the desired results,” said HRH Tunku Ismail sharing on the future of Johor Football
Association.

“You need to invest millions to get the best and it is my dream to make Johor the best football
team in terms of professionalism and management. You need to spend on players who in turn
need the best facilities to get the best out of them.

“Johor is taking the lead to develop the facilities and infrastructure which complies with
international standards for the development of the game. It is not only for Johor but it will also
benefit the country and take the game to greater heights in the long run.”

IWH group executive director Lim Chen Herng, who is also a newly appointed Johor Football
Association executive council member, said the training pitch will be the pride of the rakyatin
Johor as it is the first of its kind in the country.

“Football is the number one sport in the country. Football is also very big in Johor under the
leadership of HRH Tunku Ismail. There is so much pride and passion in the players, the fans
and supporters of the team,” noted Chen Herng.

“IWH is proud to do this for the community as part of our CSR initiative as Johoreans are proud
of their football team. More importantly, football has brought the rakyat together.
“The massive crowds seen at the stadium for matches and even at training grounds shows how
united Johoreans are. IWH is very happy to contribute towards this worthy cause,” he added.

JDT could give themselves an early cheer when they take on FA Cup champions Pahang in the
Charity Shield. The M-League curtain raiser will be played at Larkin Stadium on Jan 31. JDT
will also get a crack at the AFC Cup in 2015.
REGIONAL TOURIST DESTINATION
“We will build, starting with Padang Seri Gelam, in humble ways something similar to the
sports complex at Real Madrid with the forefront of world training facilities,” says Edwards.
“And when the new ‘football city’ complex, at Iskandar Puteri, to be ready in 2019, we hope
to make it to a regional tourist destination for football.”
Edwards reiterated that the TMJ’s father, the Sultan of Johor, will have his name enshrined at
the new RM400 million stadium as the Sultan Ibrahim Larkin Stadium in honour of his behind-
the-scenes inspiration to Johor football.
The new stadium is being built in the western outskirts of Johor Bahru, in the newly created
luxurious Iskandar Puteri district in a development area covering a 11ha-site, that will include
the sports stadium with hotels, apartments, shopping malls, rugby, tennis and futsal facilities.
Edwards says: “The new stadium would address any shortcomings in the older stadium
in Larkin. The plan is to house the main JDT team at the new stadium and move the JDT
2 team to the stadium in Larkin. The JDT 3 and JDT 4 teams will then use the Pasir
Gudang Stadium for their needs.”Another world-branded club JDT wants to emulate is very
close to Edwards’ heart: Bayern Munich, where excellence is no accident and the German giant
has set the distinct global standard in total player development.
It comes as no surprise that Bayern, a club that boasts a rich history of success on the field at
the senior level, understands the intricacies of building from the ground-up. The development
that takes place at the Säbener Strasse youth academy extends far beyond football drills. At
any given time, the Bayern academy has approximately 170-190 players in the youth
programme.
“Just look at Bayern, a club that has produced the likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Markus
Babbel, Holger Badstuber, Dietmar Hamann, Philipp Lahm, Mats Hummels, Toni Kroos,
Thomas Müller, Emre Can and David Alaba. They’ve the championship mentality because
they’ve been the most successful club domestically whilst providing the bulk of the talent in
the national side ranks at every age group,” says Edwards, who was the former Australian
assistant technical director.
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
“We want to be like a club like Bayern, particularly in youth development. In football, it’s not
about egos, it’s about success. We believe, even in Asean, we must think big and harbouring
world-class dreams must be our benchmark.
“Based on my experience, Malaysian football needs to grasp very quickly that we simply
cannot use the traditional outdated approach when it comes to dealing with player and coach
development. Globally, the game continues to move forward, the Asian Champions League is
huge now and the AFC Cup is growing from strength to strength. These competitions weren’t
around when I was playing in the 1990s and they are now the pinnacle of where the best players,
coaches and teams want to play.
Unfortunately in Malaysia, such tournaments as the Suzuki Cup, that aren’t even scheduled
into the FIFA window appear to be the benchmark of aspirations that drives policy. It’s this
type of traditional thinking that has caused the unnecessary friction between JDT and the
national body. TMJ is thinking and moving forward with a global focus, a mindset similar to
the progressive football nations of Japan and Australia, while in Malaysia the fixed, traditional
mind-set is holding back progress.
He cites Bayern Munich’s philosophy, which typifies qualities like excellence, perfection,
attention to detail, unity, diversity and innovation. The club motto, Mia san Mia,
translates to ‘We are who we are’ and in football, there is perhaps no greater truth.
“We must learn from the best in grooming the future players and coaches,” says Edwards.
“Teams, players and coaches are defined by style but ultimately remembered by results.
Bayern’s dominance starts from the ground work at the academy. In 1995, Karl-Heinz
Rumminegge and Uli Hoeness set out to restructure the standard of football played at Bayern
Munich and in doing so came to the prophetic realisation that the best academies in the world
train their core players instead of just buying new ones.”
Learning from Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Manchester City, Edwards says he realises
that two defining principles have both allowed these European giants to not only rise to the top,
but stay there as well.
“The first concept was fiscal responsibility,” says Edwards. “It simply makes better business
sense to develop talent rather than depend on development schemes and systems from other
clubs to create a player that fit the club’s needs.
“Secondly, they realised that to dominate domestic and European football, it needed players
who were groomed to be technically and tactically adept while playing the Bayern Munich
way. It means living and breathing the club’s tradition, philosophy, and mentality on and off
the pitch.”
The new era of youth development at Bayern is the culmination of some of the best
coaches, technical directors, and players in German football, something he wants to push
seriously at JDT.
In the early-2000s, when German football hit rock bottom and revamped its national
programme and initiative, Bayern Munich’s director of youth football, Werner Kern, was not
shy in his vision for establishing one of the best football academies in the world: “In order to
establish the best football education it must have the best of everything: the best coaches, the
best team environment, the best age-oriented challenges, the best training conditions and
equipment.”
GO FOR THE YOUNG
Edwards, who believes like the Johor Prince, in the values of youth development says that
serious spadework must be done with the younger generation.
“Let them at six, eight, nine or 10 years of age enjoy the magic of football. We don’t
specifically test any technical skills – no one has to go dribbling through cones. We just
let the kids play, with or without a goalkeeper, without a dead-ball line – just like it is in
the streets. There is nothing to win and there are no trophies to hand out. Fun, emotion
and desire are the only things that matter,” says Edwards.
In his words, players at the JDT Academy must play “age-appropriate football”. The youngest
groups, Under-7 to Under-10, play on condensed pitches in seven-a-side formations.
Goalkeepers must be encouraged to play in small-sided matches to increase their technical
proficiency and confidence with the ball at their feet. To create complete players, youngsters
are made to play a variety of positions while learning the fundamentals of the game well before
any tactical implementation takes place.
He believes JDT players must learn to appreciate possession-based football and constant
movement must be the primary standard. He adds: “The barometer for quality is seldom the
score line, but rather the style and fluidity of the football on display. Efficiency is trained into
the players to eliminate needless and reckless running.
“The team operates as a unit as players understand their role is to serve the team over
themselves. Effective possession is the key to our philosophy and when we lose the ball, we
want it back as soon a possible.”
Edwards says just as ball-circulation has become a staple of Bayern Munich and Real
Madrid’s football, and possession must be inculcated to be the team’s best form of defence
and attack. “When the ball is lost, the team presses to recover possession and begins
circulating the ball and probing for attacking opportunities,” he says.
In Edwards’JDT books, training is age-specific but the competition for the young sides is often
against older teams to provide a comprehensive and challenging competitive environment for
players in the youth system to compete against each year.
Another aspect is the hyper-organisation and like the Bayern Munich example, the need to
categorise players in a multitude of competencies. Players are identified as leaders, role players
(who can play a variety of positions with proficiency), and squad players. Part of the
categorising exercise is to assess the targeted growth plans for each age division, each position,
and as an individual – all while using one system of play consistent with the senior team so
there are no surprises when players are integrated into the first team.
“There’re no short cuts to success,” says Edwards. “We intend to develop at JDT a
consistent approach that ensures complete and holistic development. A player who falls
short of being able to excel in his development will likely not succeed at JDT, however,
that player may be successful elsewhere, which is a salute-success for the club, too.”
Professionalism is, yet again, the key word in Edwards’ dictionary and he believes the
meticulous long-term approach led by the Prince also guarantees players are part of the
machine. He explains: “Players fit the system. The system does not fit the player. As such,
individualised coaching is provided for each player as they are ultimately investments.
THE RIGHT COACHES
“We encourage coaches to analyse character, football ability, capacity to learn complex
systems of play, growth potential, the ability to handle difficulty while absorbing skills, honing
technique, and maximising a player’s mental and athletic output. Part of the evaluation process
is personality testing where players are assessed in areas including confidence, sensitivity,
arrogance and humility.”
Edwards says that TMJ wants more youngsters to believe football as a longer-term
career. He says: “TMJ is building a great football club with the state-of-the-arts world-
class facilities. My message to them: They need to take a chance, don’t be scared and go
for it. They’ve got to be fully involved, and they will improve day-by-day and have to
integrate as a united and disciplined team.”
Indeed, Edwards’ dream is to have at JDT the best football academy in Asean by 2020.
And at the rate he’s working with the great leader and visionary TMJ, this will be a reality that
will inspire not only Johor or Malaysia but the sub-continental region of South-east Asia to
finally get over the “frogs-in-the-well” mentality and to believe they can be Asian beaters in
the years to come.
And it starts with a 15-letter word: Professionalism.
To seriously reiterate Alistair Edwards’ rousing words: Train like a professional, Eat like a
professional, Drink like a professional, Tweet like a professional.