KUALA LUMPUR: Goalkeeper Kevin Mendoza cited salary issues and a better offer as factors for his departure from Super League side KL City but there's another reason.KL City former coach Bojan Hodak revealed that it took only a video to convince the Filipino goalkeeper to join him at Indonesia League 1's Persib Bandung, ending his three-year tenure with the City Boys.
The 90-second clip showcasing Persib Bandung's home fans at the Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium impressed MendozaThe venue has a seating capacity of 38,000.
The video, captured on Nov 8, was taken by Hodak before kick-off in the game against Arema (2-2 draw)."There's no football in Malaysia in the next few months since the M-League is only starting at the end of April, so there's that too."
In Mendoza's last interview after KL City won 3-0 over Kelantan United last Sunday, the 29-year-old briefly spoke about the City Boys' fans."The fans have been amazing, but I'm not sure what happened to them after the 2021 Malaysia Cup final, which KL won. But I am grateful for the support," said Mendoza.
Persib Bandung officially unveiled Mendoza as their new signing today. Hodak said Mendoza will help the squad do better.
"Mendoza is one of the best goalkeepers who I have worked with," said Hodak. "He was very influential in KL City's success in the last three years."
Persib Bandung are ranked second, behind Borneo, in Indonesia under the power rankings by Opta Analyst. The Bandung Tigers see a huge following on social media with a reach of 51.1 million followers on TikTok and seven million on Instagram.
Indirectly, Mendoza's decision to bid farewell to the M-League serves as a signal that local football custodians need to step up their game. This involves addressing issues such as salary arrears and putting in more effort to promote football clubs and leagues, aiming to attract fans to stadiums.
