The Malaysian Football League, also known simply as the MFL, was created during the course of the privatisation of the Malaysian football league system.[2][3] It was formerly known as Football Malaysia Limited Liability Partnership (FMLLP).[1] The company operates and runs all entities in Malaysian football under its jurisdiction, which include Liga Super, A1 League, A2 League, A3 League, MFL Cup, Malaysia Cup, Malaysia Challenge Cup, Malaysia FA Cup, Piala Sumbangsih, Piala Emas Raja-Raja, Malaysia Premier Futsal League and Malaysia Futsal Cup.[4][5] It aims to transform and move Malaysian football forward.[6][7][8]
 | |
| Industry | Sports |
|---|---|
| Founded | 3 February 2015 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia[1] |
| Headquarters | Putrajaya, Malaysia |
Key people | Dato’ Ab Ghani Hassan |
| Website | www |
The Malaysian Football League organises and keeps the official records of domestic matches, oversees the development, certification and registration of players and staff, promotes through broadcasts and other media outlets.[9][10]
History
editAfter the appointment of MP & Silva by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) as its Global Advisor for all media and commercial rights for an extensive lineup of FAM competitions, the Football Malaysia Limited Liability Partnership (FMLLP) was established to manage the top two tiers of Malaysian football league competition while the MP & Silva and FAM partnership's goal was to extend its broadcast reach and maximising the commercial potential of its properties.[11] The partnership signified the first steps of the privatisation of the Malaysian professional leagues as their subsidiary holding company, the Football Malaysia Limited Liability Partnership (FMLLP), was established for the day-to-day administration of local club football at a league-wide level.
This deal was worth RM 1.26 billion over a 15-year period, commencing from 2016. However, cracks in the agreement appeared later that year, with MP & Silva only offering a level of investment lower than FAM had originally turned down.[12][13][14]
In March 2018, the company was rebranded as the Malaysian Football League from Football Malaysia Limited Liability Partnership.[2][15] The company aimed to be more dynamic and competitive, with the MFL now an independent organization and was no longer tied to FAM.
In 2018, a new subsidiary of the company was formed known as Amateur Football League (AFL) which was tasked to manage the third division and below from 2019 onward.[16] The AFL officially confirmed the formation of the Malaysia M3 League and the Malaysia M4 League as the third and fourth division of the Malaysian football league system as amateur league competitions.[17] A total of 14 clubs were confirmed to compete in the inaugural season of the newly reformed third division, which replaced the former Malaysia FAM Cup while the Malaysia M4 League had state FA leagues and social leagues run in parallel to form the new fourth division.
Corporate structure
editMalaysian Football League structure consists of the following:[5]
- League Congress has 29 seats: One seat from each of the participating Malaysia Super League teams and others from FAM.
- League Executive Committee has three seats, filled by members of the Congress voted into the board for a particular term.
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
President
|
Dato’ Ab Ghani Hassan
|
CEO
|
Giorgio Pompili Rossi[18]
|
Current title holders
edit| Competition | Season | Champions | Title | Runners-up | Next season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charity Shield competition | |||||
| Piala Sumbangsih | 2024 | Johor Darul Ta'zim | 9th | Selangor | 2025 |
| League competition | |||||
| Malaysia Super League | 2023 | Johor Darul Ta'zim | 10th | Selangor | 2024–25 |
| Malaysia A1 Semi-Pro League | 2023 | Immigration FC | 1st | Kuala Lumpur Rovers | 2024–25 |
| Malaysia A2 Amateur League | 2023 | UiTM United | 1st | YPM FC | 2024–25 |
| Malaysia A3 Community League | 2023 | Various | 2024–25 | ||
| Cup competition | |||||
| Malaysia FA Cup | 2024 | Johor Darul Ta'zim | 4th | Selangor | 2025 |
| Malaysia Cup | 2023 | Johor Darul Ta'zim | 4th | Terengganu | 2024–25 |
| MFL Challenge Cup | 2023 | PDRM | 1st | Kuching City | 2024–25 |
| MFL Cup | 2023 | Terengganu II | 1st | Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 2024–25 |
References
edit- ^ a b Ariani Bte Adam (3 February 2015). "FAM inks deal with MP & Silva". OnScreenAsia. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ a b Noor, Rizar Mohd (25 March 2018). "TMJ: Thank you Malaysian football and goodbye | New Straits Times". NST Online. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
- ^ https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/johor-crown-prince-resigns-as-fam-president-appointed-as-10076070 Johor crown prince resigns as FAM President, appointed as Malaysia Football League chairman
- ^ "Press Release: FAM Inks deal with MP & Silva to formalise FMLLP". Football Association of Malaysia. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
- ^ a b Ooi Kin Fai (7 May 2015). "Malaysian football going for the German way". Goal.com. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
- ^ Seng-Foo Lee (5 May 2015). "Football Malaysia LLP will drive Malaysian football forward, says Ramalingam". FourFourTwo. Archived from the original on 24 September 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ "About Football Malaysia". Football Malaysia LLP. Archived from the original on 31 August 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ "FAM to take over M3, M4 Leagues". The New Straits Times. 29 June 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
- ^ "The CEO's new groove". The Malay Mail. 18 April 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ Eric Samuel (7 May 2015). "More domestic football on TV next season". The Star. Archived from the original on 27 February 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ "MP & Silva appointed as Football Association of Malaysia Global Advisor for Media & Commercial Rights until 2030". MP & Silva. 20 January 2015. Archived from the original on 25 January 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
- ^ K. Rajan; Joash Ee De Silva (19 January 2015). "FAM hit the jackpot". The Star. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ Gary Koh (20 January 2015). "Windfall beckons as FAM signs billion ringgit TV rights deal". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ Ajitpal Singh (8 November 2016). "End of FAM, MP & Silva partnership?". New Straits Times. Retrieved 28 February 2018 – via PressReader.
- ^ "TMJ quits as FAM president but remains as FMLLP chairman". AFF - The Official Website Of The Asean Football Federation. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
- ^ "14 amateur leagues confirmed as part of inaugural Malaysian tier five season | Goal.com Malaysia". www.goal.com. 25 March 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
- ^ https://www.foxsports.com.my/malaysia/46879/14-pasukan-sedia-bersaing-di-liga-m3-malaysia-2019/ 14 pasukan sedia bersaing di Liga M3 Malaysia 2019
- ^ Farah Azharie (5 September 2024). "La Liga expert Rossi appointed as new MFL CEO, replacing Stuart". The New Straits Times. Retrieved 5 September 2024.