The Australian said his comments were based on FAM’s own public statement and might have been misinterpreted, but apologised to anyone who might have been offended.
“I didn’t mean any disrespect to FAM at all. In fact, I didn’t say anything different than what they’ve said themselves. They released a press statement last week. I’m going off that. I don’t know anything else other than that.
“If people feel I’ve disrespected FAM, I apologise, but it wasn’t my intention and I definitely didn’t say anything new,” Bernama reported him as saying ahead of Malaysia’s 2027 Asian Cup Qualifier Group F match against Laos at Bukit Jalil National Stadium today.
Cklamovski had drawn attention over his comments about the fiasco involving Fifa and FAM and the registration of seven national heritage players.
His remarks, made after Malaysia’s match against Laos in Vientiane last Thursday, were seen by some as implying that FAM was responsible for the situation.
Cklamovski said his focus remained on preparing Harimau Malaya to perform at their best, not on administrative matters.
“We don’t even think about it. We think about our job as a national team to train hard, play well and get the wins. That’s what I can control,” the 47-year-old coach said, reiterating that Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim had been key to the national team’s progress.
When asked about the difficulty of building a team without the seven heritage players suspended by Fifa, he said the national squad must always maintain a collective mentality regardless of personnel changes.
“We don’t rely on one player. That’s our focus, and I’ll continue to say that because that’s the way we train.
“Whoever’s on the pitch, 11 players will do their jobs, and whoever comes onto the pitch will do the same,” he said.
Last month, FAM and seven heritage players – Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel – were sanctioned by Fifa’s disciplinary committee after they were found to have breached Article 22 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code related to document falsification.
In a statement, Fifa said FAM had submitted falsified documents to confirm the players’ eligibility, which allowed them to feature in the third-round 2027 Asian Cup Qualifier match against Vietnam on June 10.