Football
ESPN staff 7y

TMJ sacking me as U22 coach isn't a surprise - Frank Bernhardt

Frank Bernhardt admits that he was not surprised after being removed as Malaysia under-22 coach, but wants an official confirmation from the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

The 47-year-old German returned to Kuala Lumpur on Thursday with the developmental side after playing in the Dubai Cup.

"I have yet to receive an official notice from FAM on my future with the U22 squad. I believe we will have a discussion soon," Bernhardt told Bernama.

His final tournament in charge ended on a disappointing note, with Malaysia winning only game in the Dubai Cup.

After a 1-1 draw against China, Malaysia went down to Thailand 4-0. They overcame Singapore 3-1 in the next match, before Jordan compounded Bernhardt's miserable reign with another 4-0 thumping.

Last Saturday, the Crown Prince of Johor (TMJ) confirmed that outgoing national boss Datuk Ong Kim Swee will replace Bernhardt ahead of the U23 tournament at the multi-sports Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in August.

Ong returns to helm the development side after Mario Gomez was named head national coach by TMJ, who was officially installed as new FAM president at the FAM Congress last weekend.

TMJ had cited Bernhardt's removal because both men had different ideologies, but the German admitted that he wasn't aware of that because the pair had never spoken before.

However, Bernhardt, who has had a tumultuous time since coming on board in 2015, understands that decisions like this are part and parcel of football.

"When someone new takes over, they will want to make changes and these things can happen. It is a situation I must endure," he said.

Bernhard was initially promised a full-time squad to work with last year to prepare for the SEA Games.

But the old FAM regime changed their stance, resulting in the coach having limited time to find the right players and test out new combinations.

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