PETALING JAYA: Robert Douglas Friend has been named as the new CEO of the national football team, Harimau Malaya, effective tomorrow.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) said Friend’s appointment would ensure that the new organisational structure is filled with quality and experienced manpower to improve the national team.
In a statement, FAM expressed hope that Friend’s experience would also inject new spirit into the management and administration of the national senior and under-23 squads.
The 44-year-old Canadian is the first to take on the newly created position to manage the national team.
After retiring as a player in 2014, Friend founded Toca Football Canada, a football technology training institute. He is also the co-founder of the Canadian Premier League, and grew its valuation to US$300 million in six years.
He also co-founded Pacific FC and Vancouver FC, and remains the president of the latter.
This comes after FAM announced the appointments of Australian Peter Cklamovski as the new national head coach and former Kedah Darul Aman FC head coach Nafuzi Zain as the national under-23 squad head coach.
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