KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) head coach, Raul Longhi dedicated their victory in securing their fifth straight Super League title to the team’s owner, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and their fans who played a pivotal role for the team this season.
The 66-year-old Argentinian, who took charge of the team after the departure of Portuguese coach, Ulisses Morais in February, revealed that Tunku Ismail, who is the Tengku Mahkota of Johor, had contacted him to replace Morais.
“I always give my support to the players because I believe in them. What’s important is that they give their best and show improvement in their game,” Longhi was quoted as saying in the latest entry posted in JDT’s official Facebook, Johor Southern Tigers.
“I also have high confidence in the young players at JDT. They are players of the future for JDT because they have the best mentality,” Longhi added.
JDT retained the Super League title for the fifth consecutive season since 2014 by defeating nearest rivals, Perak 2-1 at the Perak Stadium, last night.
The victory saw the Southern Tigers squad collecting 47 points and taking a 16-point advantage over Perak who remain in second place in the Super League standing, with four matches to spare.
The result saw JDT earning a direct entry to the group stage of the 2019 Asian Champions League competition.
On the match against Perak, Longhi revealed that the home side gave the Southern Tigers squad a run for their money before his players found their rhythm midway in the second half to win the match.
“In the first half, we had three to four chances to score goals, but luck was not on our side. However, the players played well in the second half and scored two goals. I am very happy with all my players,” he said. — Bernama
