Elavarasan was announced as the head coach of the national U-23 squad to replace Brad Maloney on September 1 last year. - File photo/Bernama
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) would like to announce today that E. Elavarasan has officially relinquished his position as head coach of the national U-23 squad to return to focus on his original duties as assistant head coach of the national senior squad.
Elavarasan was announced as the head coach of the national U-23 squad to replace Brad Maloney on September 1 last year and at the same time still held the position of assistant to the head coach of the national senior squad, Kim Pan-gon.
FAM Secretary General, Datuk Noor Azman Rahman, in a statement today said: "FAM at that time made the decision to appoint Elavarasan to lead the national U-23 squad because he was in the Pan-gon coaching system, thus facilitating the continuity process for the senior squad and the national B-23 squad.
"One year under Elavarasan, the national U-23 squad won the 2023 Merlion Cup in Singapore last March and despite failing in the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia last May, they managed to qualify for the semi-finals of the 2023 AFF U-23 Championship in Rayong, Thailand. last August and qualified for the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup after passing the qualifying round in Chonburi, Thailand recently.
"Immediately after completing the assignment in Chonburi, a meeting between Elavarasan and FAM President, Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin, was held at Wisma FAM, Kelana Jaya to discuss the direction of the national U-23 team after the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers.
"In the heart-to-heart discussion, Hamidin and Elavarasan have reached a consensus and agreement that he should return to focus on his responsibilities as the assistant head coach of the national squad to help Pan-gon in the senior squad, thus giving space to other individuals to shoulder the duties of leader coach of the national U-23 squad to the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup in Qatar, next April," he said.
FAM also informed that Elavarasan's successor will only be announced after several studies and discussions with the parties involved and a final decision will be reached later.
