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Man Utd´s Asia tour at risk as Malaysia pulls out
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Malaysian authorities caved into pressure from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Tuesday and ruled out Manchester United playing in the country in July, throwing their Asian tour into chaos.
The vice president of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) Tengku Abdullah Ibni Sultan Ahmad Shah joined AFC president Mohammed bin Hammam in calling for United's entire pre-season commercial tour to be called off.
Manchester United are also due to play in Macau, Japan and South Korea.
"If they want to come during that time they can't," he told reporters on the sidelines of the AFC Congress here.
"The sanction has not been given by the AFC and we have to follow it. Manchester United cannot come to Malaysia during the Asian Cup. They will have to rearrange their schedule."
Bin Hammam on Monday slammed United as "disrespectful" for scheduling a tour during the Asian Cup finals -- the region's flagship competition from July 7-29 which he hopes will boost interest in Asian football among Asians.
He suggested FAM could face disciplinary action if they allowed United to play in Kuala Lumpur on July 27, saying each association hosting matches had signed guarantees not to hold any other games when the Cup was on.
"It is bad news for the fans but it is the feeling of the family of Asia," said Tengku Abdullah. "By the look of it the Asian Cup will have to take precedence.
"We all have to support Mr. Bin Hammam's call for Manchester United not to come to Asia at all during the Asian Cup.
"The feeling is that they have to reschedule."
Manchester United plan to kick off against J-League champions Urawa Red Diamonds on July 17 in Saitama in Japan before travelling to the South Korean capital for a showdown with FC Seoul on July 20.
Alex Ferguson's team are then due to head to Macau for a match against Shenzhen on July 23, before ending the tour in Kuala Lumpur on July 27 against a Malaysian XI.
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