Foul!

“Some players from Terengganu are going to enjoy stints in Europe...either England, Portugal or Holland.” Those were the words of T-Team coach Peter Butler ( pic ). This came about after the author contacted Butler just before appearing on Nadi Arena on Saturday regarding former SC Beira-Mar player Nazmi Faiz Mansor. SC Beira-Mar had, in an email, revealed that “ In the next season we will bring one or two players from Malaysia, who will be chosen by Peter Butler.” “Who told you?” was Butler’s first response when asked over the contents of the email by the Portugal club. “Look, clubs from England, Portugal...they call me all the time asking about talents in the country. “Honestly, the Malaysian players are a talented lot but talent alone is not enough to survive in Europe. They are still not strong enough and it will take some time before Malaysian players make it abroad,” he added. Nazmi Faiz Mansor courted controversy on and off the field with his su...

More Malaysian players to see action with SC Beira-Mar? That seems to be so after the author obtained confirmation from the club that they are working closely with T-Team coach Peter Butler to bring "one or two players" to play for the Portugal club next season. In an email to the author, SC Beira-Mar's Department of Communication representative Luis Viega said; "Regarding your questions about Nazmi Faiz (Mansor), initially we agreed a concession for six months, but then he asked to stay in Malaysia for personal reasons.  "Focus on what matters to us is that we remain very committed to help develop football in Malaysia and now we are working in contact with Peter Butler. In the next season we will bring one or two players from Malaysia, who will be chosen by Peter Butler." The email was in response to queries about Nazmi Faiz leaving the club despite it was earlier reported on the club's website that he will be released for only "six mon...

So what will youngster Nazmi Faiz Mansor do between now and April? Not being able to play competitively will certainly affect the performance of a professional player - and it remains to be seen if Nazmi will be at his best when he will be able to play for PKNS during the second transfer window. That aside, there now seems to be some form of 'sympathy' for the former Harimau Muda A player. Having left Portugal outfit SC Beira-Mar, Nazmi's reasoning of walking off and flying across the Indian Ocean back to Kuala Lumpur was simply due to the fact that the club "is facing financial woes". Really? If so, why didn't the agent try and pitch Nazmi to play for another Portugal side? Is it a situation where they were not impressed with Nazmi? Or Nazmi was itching to return? Also if indeed the club was facing "financial woes", why didn't Nazmi - or through his agent - file a complaint with UEFA (if they were not paid their wages that is) and re...