JDT COO Edwards slams AFC over foreign-player rule in ACLE
KUALA LUMPUR: Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) chief operating officer Alistair Edwards has taken a swipe at the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) decision to allow unlimited foreign players in the Asian Champions League Elite (ACLE), saying the rule has forced clubs like the Southern Tigers to carry bigger squads.
Johor Darul Ta zim (JDT) chief operating officer Alistair Edwards has criticised the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) decision to permit an unlimited number of foreign players in the Asian Champions League Elite (ACLE). The rule, according to Edwards, has led JDT to maintain a larger squad, with the club's depth reaching 35-37 players in a season. Edwards stated that the decision was made with the best of intentions but he is not a fan of the regulation.
JDT's involvement in multiple competitions, including the domestic league, Asean Club Championship (ACC), and ACLE, necessitates a larger squad to manage the demands of traveling and playing in various tournaments. JDT's management, including Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, the Sultan of Johor, have expressed their commitment to competing seriously in Asia, which has resulted in the need for a big squad.
Edwards further emphasized that JDT's squad should not be viewed simply as an obsession with foreign players. The club boasts a strong core of local players alongside their international recruits. The size of the squad is designed to cope with an increasingly demanding calendar, reflecting JDT's objective of representing Malaysia well in international competitions.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
