Liverpool FC’s impact on Malaysian football culture
“You’ll never walk alone” are the words that offer support to each player of Liverpool no matter where he is walking. The road may take us far, even as far as Malaysia. Mo Salah and his teammates have been facing tough times these past few weeks, as every single fan of the Reds is shaken by the words of Jurgen Klopp.
This summer the current manager will leave the bench and pass the torch to someone else. It will be an emotional moment since the club has recorded massive success since 2015 and his appointment as the manager.
With a club that is as big and rich in tradition as Liverpool, it will impact the fans in every part of the world. And that made us analyze the impact that the club has on Malaysian football culture.
The Importance and History of Liverpool FC
It is no wonder that the Reds are one of the biggest clubs in both old times and modern-day Premier League. It is one of the most successful football clubs in England and Europe as well, with some of the game’s most famous players ever.
These players are responsible for the fact that LFC is the favourite at the online betting sites in Malaysia, and these establishments were thoroughly evaluated by the experts for you. Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez, Jamie Carragher, and Michael Owen are some of the “newer” names in history alongside Ian Rush, Kevin Keegan, and Kenny Dalglish.
Of course, lately, the main culprits for the club’s success are Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Roberto Firmino, and Alisson Becker, the guys who are responsible for winning both the UEFA Champions League and English Premier League.
The domestic top division title was won after three long decades without it, for which they even have a special jersey, combining joy with relief for everyone who holds the Reds in high regard. This is the most successful English team that has played in European competitions, having won the Champions League on six occasions.
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Besides this amazing achievement, they managed to grab the Premier League title on 19 occasions, and the FA Cup was conquered eight times, among many other trophies.
Football in Malaysia
As the most popular sport in the country, football has been in the hearts of Malaysian people since 1921. It was brought to this nation by the British, and who better to show them the rules than the people who invented the beautiful game? They fell in love with it instantly and loved the chance to play against British soldiers who were arriving in these parts of the world on battleships.
The oldest competition is the Malaya Cup. The Association Football of Malaysia (FAM) was created in 1933 and joined FIFA as a member in 1954. Their greatest football legend is Mokhtar Dahari, who is also one of the best players in the history of Asia and a scorer of 125 goals in 167 appearances.
The Introduction of Malaysia into the Global Liverpool FC Family
The first time that the club visited this nation was back in 2011. It was an event that was held in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, and the idea was to hold an open training session and play a friendly game. The main goal was to introduce the people here to their favourite players from Liverpool and possibly expand the fan base. However, no one expected what happened on that day.
The training was being held at the time of the biggest rush hour in the city, and the projections were that the number of 5,000 fans at the training session could be considered a success. When the players ran out on the pitch, they were greeted by the 40,000 souls who fought over a chance to see their favourite players.
If that was not enough, the following friendly game was a sell-out, with all of 80,000 tickets sold. These numbers made the club officials look more carefully at Malaysia and recognize it as one of the biggest Liverpool fan bases in the world.
The Continuous Romance Between Liverpool and Malaysia
The first visit by the Reds was something that the people remembered and cherished. The popularity of this club was strong due to its strong display in the 80’s and 90’s, yet the passion of it remained even in the difficult times for the club.
Since there were so many fans of the club in this country, it was decided that the visit would be repeated in 2015 and the reception from the fans and the audience was yet again spectacular. There was a strong bond between the club and the football community in Malaysia, which led to Malaysia Airlines becoming the club’s sponsor in 2016.
Reds’ Impact on Malaysia Football Culture
These visits and the fact that the English Premier League was the preferred choice by the Malaysian football community affected the local football culture greatly. The fans and players who loved the club were a part of the recent year’s success. These past couple of years saw the rebirth of Liverpool, placing it as a top club on both England’s and Europe’s football maps.
The trophies that were won, the amazing attacking football, the talented players, and Klopp’s trademark Gegenpress style were the main reasons why Malaysians loved the club. They have affected the football community in the country, making them want to replicate the LFC style in their clubs and national teams.
Liverpool made the players in this country want to train and acquire skills that they have seen the boys from Anfield can do.
Conclusion
As one of the greatest football clubs now and a title contender in this year’s Premier League race, Liverpool is generating huge fan bases all around the world. The love that they see from Malaysian fans is strengthening their bond and impacting the football culture in this country. When they see the style of play from LFC, the coaches there want to replicate it.
Kids who start training want to be the next Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Diogo Jota, or Trent Alexander-Arnold. With that being said, we can conclude that the influence that LFC has in this part of the world is amazing.
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