In a Facebook post, the Chilean said he was struggling to make ends meet.

“I never thought the hardest battle of my life would be fought in silence, just trying to survive and feed my family,” he wrote.

San Martin said the arrears stem from a contract he signed in November 2025, adding that Kedah Darul Aman FC also owes him several months’ wages under a previous deal signed a year earlier.

He said the financial strain had left his family unable to afford rent and other basic necessities.

“I am currently facing serious legal issues back home in Chile that require my urgent attention, but I am completely paralysed here.

“I am a father and a provider, yet right now my family and I are struggling just to get through each passing day. We are lacking the most basic human necessities,” he wrote.

San Martin appealed for a face-to-face meeting with club owner Daud Bakar to resolve the matter.

“I am only asking for the dignity of a direct conversation to resolve this respectfully. I have always treated this club with the utmost respect, and I only ask for that same respect in return,” he said.

A midfielder by trade, San Martin played for Kedah from 2006 to 2008, and again in 2013.

He was part of the Kedah squad that achieved the historic “double treble” in 2007 and 2008, winning the Malaysian Super League, Malaysia Cup, and FA Cup in consecutive seasons.

Appointed technical director in 2024, his role was reportedly offered to former Portugal international Joao Tomas in April last year.

San Martin, who calls Malaysia “my home”, expressed gratitude to fans and friends who have supported him.

“I do not consider myself a legend. I am just a man who gave his heart and soul to Malaysian football and to the state of Kedah.

“My only wish is to continue giving back, now as a coach.”