IPOH, July 5 — He is armed with a glittering playing and coaching resumé, but Perak’s newly appointed team manager Ahmad Shahrul Azhar Sofian is determined not to step on anyone’s toes in his new position.
The 43-year-old, who took over the reins as manager and Perak Football Association (PAFA) honorary secretary on Saturday, says he will not interfere with the technical or tactical aspects of the team despite his experience as a national captain and Super League assistant coach.
“Although I have an ’A’ coaching licence, I will be a manager with ethics. I won’t interfere with the technical and tactical decisions made by head coach Mehmet Durakovic and I will ensure that the management does the same thing as well,” he told reporters during a press conference at PAFA headquarters yesterday.
“I will not comment about the players or the team unless it involves the management.We have brought him in as a coach, so we let him do his job.”
Across a 13-year playing career as a feared central midfielder, the Ipoh native captained Perak and the national team. He was Malaysia’s top scorer in the group stages of the 2000 SEA games.
After retiring in 2009, he worked as Perak’s assistant manager (2013), Negri Sembilan U-21 head coach (2014), and most recently as Felda United’s assistant coach.
Ahmad Shahrul took his time before accepting the post, well aware of the risks and responsibilities that came with the job.
“I spoke to many coaches and senior officials before deciding. After getting their input, I decided that I should come back to help Perak,” he said.
“It’s not an easy job and you can’t accept it with any delusions of grandeur. I don’t view it as an opportunity but rather as a duty.
“My experience in management is shallow, but I promise to try my best with the support of those around me.”
Ahmad Shahrul plans to be an open manager and he welcomes anyone with any issues or feedback regarding the team to meet him face-to-face.
The Perak icon also underlined his support for more grassroots development at the state, adding that he planned to meet with PAFA's’ top management to draw up future plans.
“We need funding, and we need to prepare blueprints to determine exactly when and how we can implement development programmes,” added Ahmad Shahrul.
Following Perak’s recent 3-2 win at Kedah, Ahmad Shahrul believes the squad has the talent to go places, provided they adjust to Durakovic’s system.
He believes the fans will be happy if the team play with passion and produce quality performance.
“When I went for the Kedah game, I met two fans who travelled by motorcycle from Ipoh to Alor Star, and a lady who came all the way from Teluk Intan (over 330km away).
“This is what I want to pass along to the boys. It is about the spirit and giving their all for the fans. Fans will be solidly behind them when they see the team playing with the right attitude and play well,” he said.
