However, Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim said the issue did not bother him, as he was more concerned over long-term issues for the good of the national team.
A May 11 report by Asia Times, a Hong Kong-based online news portal, detailed how Vingada’s ties with Hong Kong businessman Eric Mao extended to the former helping the latter buy a controlling stake in Atletico Clube de Portugal, a football club in Lisbon, in 2013.
Vingada, 64, was shortly after named president of the club where he also had a spell as a player in his younger days.
Mao, a former TV journalist, has been accused of being involved in match-fixing syndicates, with Atletico coming under investigation in 2014 for “corruption, manipulation and match-fixing charges”, according to a report in the Irish Daily Mail. The daily was covering a story about an Irish club, Athlone, that Mao has been linked to as well, and is also now under investigation on similar charges.
Mao has also been linked to famous Asian bookie Wilson Raj Perumal, who was convicted twice in his native Singapore on match-fixing charges.
Asia Times quoted Javier Mena, a senior manager of sports intelligence with the International Centre for Sport Security, who said “many years ago we saw some links between Mao and Wilson Raj Perumal”.
Fortunately for Vingada, Tunku Ismail who accompanied him in the interview session, did not seem concerned with the links made in the Asia Times report.
“I don’t think it is an issue. The idea here is obviously to do well. Those type of things are not my concern.
“The concern here is to have a look at the bigger picture and the long-term things we want to achieve,” Tunku Ismail was quoted as saying by FFT.
Vingada too was quick to distance himself from Mao, insisting there were no ties with Mao.
“Just to clarify, I have no relation with Mao. There is no doubt about it. I was even honoured by the Portugal government together with Carlos Queiroz in the past,” Vingada said, directing attention to his past accolade for being part of a successful youth team coaching squad in the 1990s with the former Manchester United and Real Madrid manager.
“I was a former player with Atletico and at that time (2013) I was contracted to the Iranian team.
“The president of the club, not Mao, asked if I could help out because of my time in China previously. I said I would help them because I was a former player.
“You can read anywhere about me. I am proud of the things I have done. For sure, you have a great man in front of you now,” FFT quoted Vingada, who had a one-year stint as coach of Chinese football club, Dalian Shide.