Pic courtesy of the Southern Tiger Facebook
October has been quite a month for Johor Darul Ta'zim FC (JDT). A record seventh consecutive Malaysia Super League title meant there were plenty of reasons to celebrate despite the year blemished by a global pandemic.
The celebrations were a gala minus the fans, aired live across free-to-air television and Facebook to millions of viewers. Fireworks lit the skies and could be seen from miles away.
What a way it was to start the month, but October wasn't all about the celebrations. The month's happenings, to some extent, best summarise what JDT is about and how the club has grown into an empire with an endless hunger to take steps forwards
Beyond the celebrations, JDT went straight back to work.
Pic courtesy of the Southern Tiger Facebook
JDT players and owner HRH Major General Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Crown Prince of Johor immediately sprung to 'work' the very next morning after lifting the title by visiting the JDT Academy and encouraging the aspiring youngsters there.
The following day, HRH Tunku Ismail chaired a management meeting to discuss the direction of the club and arrangements for 2021 and beyond. Similar meetings also took place very soon after recording success in previous years.
October saw the departure of JDT Legend & Manager Luciano Figueroa and Malaysia's Most Valuable Player Safawi Rasid but the club was quick to 'calm' the fans by announcing transfer plans, infrastructure upgrades, potential foreign sponsors and the construction of a JDT Gym open to the public.
Pic courtesy of the Southern Tiger Facebook
Already with the best football facilities in the region and among the best in Asia, JDT also recently announced plans for a new mega one-stop state-of-the-art training centre to host all its teams from seniors to juniors.
Even the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium field is undergoing an upgrade despite already being the best football field in the country! Such is the desire to continuously push ahead.
The desire has seen JDT plan well in advance, something most clubs in Malaysia has failed to do for decades.
While most clubs operate on a year to year basis, JDT has invested plenty on long-term projects and even start identifying potential signings several years ahead.
For example, JDT has been monitoring incoming forward Camilo Sanvezzo for a couple of years while the outgoing Diogo Luis Santo was on JDT's radar for a few years while at Buriram United before he eventually joined in 2019.
JDT also wasted no time in renewing players' contracts and securing new transfers well before the 2020 football season truly ends with the Malaysia Cup.
While teams have been busy finally turning Football Associations into legal Football Clubs in recent weeks and wondering what their direction and budget would be in 2021, JDT has just about finalised their squad for 2021 and announced several plans that will leave a legacy for years to come.
The mentality of constantly striving for more emanates from the Crown Prince of Johor to just about everyone at JDT, and that has been among the key factors JDT are so far ahead despite only being established in 2013.
Former journalist Vijhay is Head of Content at Johor Darul Ta'zim FC following stints with Malay Mail, Sports247.my, FourFourTwo Malaysia and FOX Malaysia. You may have also heard him on BFM Football or watched him on Media Prima's football programmes. Vijhay can be reached at @vijhayvick on Twitter.
.jpeg)
