Pahang Rangers collaborate with Spanish Futsal club

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 15 -- Pahang Rangers FC have set a remarkable milestone through collaboration with Spanish club, Levante Union Deportiva, which will not only benefit the local  club's players and coaches, but also the development of futsal in Malaysia.

Pahang Rangers FC president, Tengku Fahd Mu'adzam Shah Sultan Ahmad Shah said both parties signed a one-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) but had not ruled out extension into a long-term agreement.

"We are honoured to have a top club like Levante to share their knowledge and expertise. Our plan is to allow our players, coaches and management to learn from one of the biggest and most successful clubs in Spanish football and futsal.

"This partnership will allow our club to send our players to train with Levante for a period of around two to three weeks. Levante will also host coaches from Pahang Rangers on an attachment programme to learn from their coaches and thus bring back their expertise to Malaysia," he said.

The MoU was signed between Tengku Fahd Mu'adzam Shah and Levante Union Deportiva president, Francisco Catalan, here, today. 

He said on the Pahang side, they would host coaches from Levante Union Deportiva to facilitate training camps in Malaysia so as to create a holistic grassroots programme with the aim of developing the future of Malaysian futsal.

Tengku Fahd said he would also explore the viability of bringing Levante futsal to Pahang on tour for a friendly with the Pahang Rangers futsal team.

"We have no doubt that this collaboration will be a massive success for both parties and will open more opportunities for both Pahang Rangers and Levante," he said.

Meanwhile, Pahang Rangers player and national futsal team captain, Khairul Effendy Bahrin said with the collaboration, the players would get maximum exposure from the giant Spanish futsal club.

"The selected players will gain precious experience as with regard to the training system for players, the Spanish club’s is the best. The Malaysian players are still behind technically compared to the Spanish players, so we can learn from them.

"I also hope that more local futsal teams will take up the approach of collaboration with foreign clubs to raise the level of our futsal,” he added.

-- BERNAMA