Assalamualaikum WBT. I would like to say thank you very much to every fan and the Johor Darul Ta’zim FC family. I would also like to say well done and congratulations to every individual at the club — players, coaches and staff — for creating history as the only club to win the league title eight years in a row and qualify for the highest Asian club level, which is the AFC Champions League.
I would like to take this opportunity to share regarding the club’s progress and other news. As you all know, we rarely lose, so after a defeat every once in a while, we will be more hardworking. It’s a blessing in disguise and it is also good to have a wake-up call. No matter what we do, if Allah SWT doesn’t grant the good fortunes then it’s not for us.
I feel that in the last three seasons, we got too comfortable, too confident and we didn’t spend on the squad. But after what happened, it is time for us to spend again because we have been challenged. It has made us more motivated to compete next year. I consider defeat as something positive for JDT. We will become more obsessed to fix our mistakes and strengthen the team.
We will undergo preseason in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to play with several local teams there and some European clubs as part of our preparation. Several players will stay, some will be loaned out and some will be released. The JDT Technical Director will make detailed announcements to the fans soon.
I was just thinking that I wanted to take a break from football but defeat means I won’t be taking a break. Like I once said, a wounded Tiger is always eager to bounce back.
HRH Major General Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Crown Prince of Johor