KUALA LUMPUR: Serbian footballer Milos Gordic sadly returned to his country without getting his salary from Kedah after playing for a season in the Super League.
He left behind a cryptic message: “A club that has existed for 100 years… So why is it in this city? Alor Star has no future without the Kedah football club.”
Though he was hardly paid, the 32-year-old Serb played on for Kedah for nearly a year, his sheer passion for football kept him going.
“I cannot speak badly (about Kedah). Despite not receiving our salaries for a year, we played in the FA Cup semi-finals! That is a serious achievement despite such turbulent events,” he said.
Gordic, who joined Kedah from China‘s WX Wugo in March last year, showed a level of commitment and sacrifices rarely seen by foreign players in the M-League.
This has led to Kedah football fan Hazriq posting on Facebook that Gordic was “fighting like a lion while being robbed blind (salary not paid)”.
Taking the club’s officials to task, Hazriq said: “Kedah football is not a political playground. You can’t parade around in scarves during elections and then vanish when the club is in crisis.
“Our players are sweating on the pitch with empty pockets, while those in power are silent. Where are the promises? Where is the honour?” he posted.
The post, titled Politics, Football, Tan Sri, Legacy & Its Importance, has racked up close to a thousand likes and just under 500 shares since last night.
Hazriq is not a politician or an insider, but maybe that’s what makes his voice resonate. From outside the system, he sees the rot that insiders ignore.
“I was dragged through the mud for speaking up. Lost friends. Got blocked by people (online) I once respected. But someone has to say it, Kedah is bleeding, and everyone’s just watching,” the post read.
To Hazriq, it’s not just about mismanagement, it’s about betrayal. “You think it’s just football? For us, it’s identity. It’s pride. And you’ve stomped on it like it means nothing,” the post read.
Gordic’s parting words, which underlined that feeling of disillusionment, were: “Kedah is a club that can always gather many fans if the story is honest and healthy.”
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
