At a 10am press conference this morning held at the offices of the Chiang Mai Sports Association, “Big Tai” Montri Chaihan, the president of the Chiang Mai Province Sports Association, declared that this was the time for him to step aside from Chiang Mai FC and pass the club over to new investors.
Khun Montri emphasised that he was above all else a CMFC fan; that he had done all he could to help the club survive after the turmoil of the last six months.
But he also noted that he has a mission to support all sporting activity in Chiang Mai province. Due to these commitments he would not have the time to help the new capital group manage the team.
While we wait for the new investors to be formally announced a number of matters are now clear; while other issues are simply not being talked about in the hope that they go away. Hint. They will not.
Christ FC will manage the club on a day to day basis. As noted yesterday the Christ FC academy is already well established in Mae Rim with players, coaching and admin staff, kits and budgets. The senior Christ FC team has already played this summer in the 2024 OIS Thailand SibSan Cup for Chiang Mai’s leading amateur sides.
While management comes from Christ FC the funding will come from new Brazilian investors. They were not named this morning.
In related news the CM LIVE TV news team had a conversation with “Coach Pao” Anant Amralitsak, the manager of Christ FC. No one from Christ FC, or the new investors, was at this morning’s press conference.
By 13 August 2024 CMFC will need to register 20 players for T3. Foreign player can be registered by 15 August. There are 25 Thai players already training with coach Reuther Moreira; three Brazilian players are expected to join the club tomorrow.
Coach Pao confirmed his intent to use the 700th anniversary stadium for matches in T3. An MoU has been signed but there are still discussions to be held with relevant authorities.
The plan is to grow a club that is strong and sustainable. In the future, the team must have a core group of players who are from Chiang Mai and who emerge through a strong youth system.
But – have we simply postponed, rather than resolved, our problems? Have we exhausted Khun Montri and his team to the point where they want to get out of the way and see what happens next.
Kelme Thailand confirmed this afternoon that CMFC still owes Baht 1.3 million for the 25th anniversary shirts. Some staff and players have not yet agreed payment terms.
Khun Sand remains President of the club through his company. He has to stay in place for at least one more year in accordance with Thai FA rules that require new owners not to dispose of a club for a minimum of two seasons.
This will require him to be active in managing the club assets and finances since documents will require his signature.
Given a history of false promises and non-payments this should be a concern, especially to new investors with no previous experience in football club management.
Maybe it will all work out. But Khun Montri and his team have done all they can and that was the message that was delivered today.
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