Johor Darul Ta’zim FC

A JOHOR FOOTBALL REVOLUTION

The seismic rebuilding of football in Johor has seen Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT) become a reputable force in the global football circle, ever since HRH Tunku Mahkota Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, The Crown Prince of Johor took charge ahead of the 2013 season.

Today, JDT stands as one of Southeast Asia’s most ambitious clubs, boasting facilities that rival the best teams on the continent. Success has become a permanent fixture for the Southern Tigers; the club is currently recognized among the top 10 most successful clubs worldwide for consecutive league titles, cementing their status as a global powerhouse of consistency.

Domestically, JDT has redefined dominance, holding the record as the highest Charity Shield winner in Malaysia since the 2013 revolution. Their trophy cabinet also boasts an unparalleled collection of Malaysia Super League titles, FA Cups, and Malaysia Cups. Most notably, JDT remains the only club from Southeast Asia to win the AFC Cup in its modern format. This historic achievement also saw JDT become the first club from East Asia to ever lift that trophy, breaking the long-standing dominance of West Asian clubs and placing Johor firmly on the international map.

How the ball got rolling

Intriguingly, it all started during a hockey match HRH Tunku Mahkota Ismail had attended in Johor. Fans at the stadium pleaded with their then Crown Prince to “save Johor football” and HRH Tunku Ismail, an avid football fan himself, took it upon himself to attend a football match at the Tan Sri Dato’ Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium in Larkin.

HRH Tunku Mahkota Ismail decided to revamp, rebrand and rescue Johor’s ailing football state, and rest was history, literally. Major restructuring and consolidation saw the birth of a new identity – JDT – and a unifying moniker ‘Southern Tigers’ was adopted.

A World-Class Standard

Central to this success is the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, which earned global acclaim by being voted the “Stadium of the Year” for 2020. Defeating iconic venues from around the world, it stands as a testament to the vision of HRH Tunku Mahkota Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, The Crown Prince of Johor.

Growth of the JDT brand

Success on the pitch has brought rewards off the pitch as the Southern Tigers rubbed shoulders with some of the best in the industry.

JDT have partnered with Borussia Dortmund, Valencia and Juventus while the club and HRH Tunku Mahkota Ismail have had working visits to Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid and so on.

World-renowned football super-agent Jorge Mendes, Valencia owner Peter Lim and Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan have attended JDT matches at Larkin while the likes of David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luis Figo, Ronaldo, Robert Pires, Gerard Pique and many more illustrious names have been seen associating with either JDT or HRH Tunku Mahkota Ismail himself.

Renowned international brands such as Nike and Hublot have come on board while HRH Tunku Ismail showcased JDT to the world when he spoke at the 2016 World Football Summit.

The future

The opening of the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium marks another chapter for the Southern Tigers as JDT look to take on the future.

The foundations have been laid with world-class facilities, brand power and a strong academy structure that won nine age group trophies in two years following collaborations with Borussia Dortmund and Valencia.

While the current Padang Seri Gelam JDT Training Centre recently underwent expansion works to build a Medical Centre and an Auditorium, JDT are already planning a one-stop training centre for all teams – first team to Under-12s.

The sky is the limit for JDT under HRH Tunku Mahkota Ismail’s leadership as the club continue to push boundaries, set milestones and create new benchmarks. It is this ideology and drive that have seen the Southern Tigers grow into one of the leading teams in Southeast Asia.