The Football Association of Penang (FAP) has confirmed that former Manchester United player Ashley Westwood will be replacing Croatian Nenad Bacina as Penang FA team’s head coach.
Westwood, who previously coached Bengaluru FC I-League, has signed a 2-year contract with the team and will guide them in the upcoming Malaysia Super League (MSL) 2017 season.
“Westwood is a well-respected coach because under his guidance, Bengaluru FC had won several titles, including the I-League, Federation Cup and made it to the AFC Cup quarterfinals for 2 consecutive years,” said Penang team manager Zairil Khir Johari.
However, the 40-year-old English footballer will not be working with Bojan Hodak, who masterminded Penang’s highest-ranked survival on the final day of the season, as he has stepped down as the team’s chief executive officer.
“My contract with Penang ends on 30th November and I will not continue after this. The management and myself have different views on the team moving forward, so we will be going our separate ways,” said Hodak.
According to Goal, Westwood has reportedly turned down offers from Europe and Asia that included the technical director role at Kitchee in Hong Kong.
In other news, Penang football player Mohd Faiz Subri’s has been shortlisted for FIFA’s 2016 Puskás Award.
