KUALA LUMPUR: Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) coach Xisco Munoz has said the Southern Tigers are a team with their own identity and not a reflection of any Spanish club.
Munoz made the statement after Shanghai Shenhua coach Leonid Slutsky described JDT as resembling a Spanish club ahead of their Asian Champions League (ACL) match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri on Wednesday.
“I disagree with Slutsky’s claim that JDT are like a Spanish club in the ACL,” said Munoz during the pre-match press conference on Tuesday. “The rules allow foreign players to play in Asia’s elite competition, and we have both local and foreign players ready for selection. We are JDT, not a shadow of any Spanish club.”
Munoz, who is from Spain, said JDT’s style of play is shaped by the team’s own strengths rather than external influence.
Their focus now, he said, is solely on defeating Shanghai Shenhua.
“The players’ momentum is positive and must be maintained. The team’s character and tactics must continue to improve, including game intensity and avoiding situations where opponents control the match, as these are crucial factors in securing victory,” he said.
He added that facing the Chinese giants will not be an easy task despite JDT’s 3–0 win over them last season, noting that the circumstances are now different.
Shanghai and JDT both have four points from three matches, but the China club are seventh in the standings on goal difference.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
