KUALA NERUS, May 5 — Terengganu Football Club (TFC) have denied claims that they failed to settle up to nine months’ salary owed to former import striker Ivan Mamut.

TFC described the claims as inaccurate and taken from unverified sources.

As such, TFC said, they would not hesitate to take legal action against any party that released or spread news that could tarnish the club’s reputation.

"TFC always cared about player welfare and gave them opportunities for discussions to find the best solution for the wellbeing of the team.

"If there are matters that have not been clarified, such as salary arrears, the proper channel should be used as stated in the contract that has been agreed upon,” TFC said in a statement today.

The statement added that Mamut signed a contract extension for the 2024/2025 season in December 2023.

However, the player suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury in March last year, resulting in him being out for a long time as he returned home to Croatia to undergo surgery.

"In January, Mamut returned to Terengganu to report for duty for the remaining matches in the Malaysia League (M-League), but he was not fielded due to his poor physical fitness.

"For the 2024/2025 season, he never played even a minute for TFC,” the club added.

As such, TFC hope that the issue will not be sensationalised because it not only damaged the TFC’s reputation but also tarnished the image of the M-League, in general. — Bernama