Garcia hopes friend Alonso’s Chelsea finish second to Liverpool in Johor friendly
Luis Garcia, chief executive of Johor Darul Ta'zim, said he hopes long-term friend Xabi Alonso's Chelsea finish second to Liverpool when the clubs meet in Johor on Sunday in the final leg of Chelsea's pre-season tour. Garcia will reunite with Alonso at the 40,000-capacity Sultan Ibrahim Stadium as Chelsea conclude a tour that has taken them to Australia and other parts of Asia.
Garcia and Alonso first met after both signed for Rafael Benitez's Liverpool in 2004 and played together between 2004 and 2007; they both started in Liverpool's Champions League final win over AC Milan at the end of that season and later appeared together for Spain. Garcia said they remain "really good friends" and recalled a moment from their unveiling at Anfield: "He told me he didn't speak English too well before our unveiling press conference," Garcia said. "I answered the first question in Spanish, as we had a translator present, and he answered in perfect English and I thought: 'Why you little?!'"
Chelsea's tour has included matches against Tottenham, Juventus and AC Milan, and Garcia described Sunday’s fixture as the club's toughest pre-season assignment. "Chelsea is the biggest test we will face this season," Garcia admits. "I'll be so happy to welcome them in Johor. The stadium is going to be packed."
JDT prepared for the Chelsea visit with a training camp in Alicante, drawing with Rangers and Spanish second-division side Elche before beating Cartagena. The club have not lost a domestic match since 2021 and are currently on a world record-equalling 108-game unbeaten run, which Garcia said could be extended when the Malaysian season restarts in August.
Garcia pointed to JDT's recent progress on the continental stage, noting the club reached the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League last season and that competing in Asia remains a priority. "Hopefully in the first game of the season we'll break one of the most incredible records in football, that is the domestic unbeaten run," Garcia said.
On the club's off-field development, Garcia highlighted the role of the owner and the investment in facilities. "The owner is the Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Ismail Tunku. He has taken the club on an amazing journey. Top-class stadium and training facilities that people will be talking about," he said, adding: "We don't have a limit, and that motto of 'the sky is never the limit' is something that we repeat quite often in the dressing room."
Garcia, who splits his time between Spain and Malaysia and earned his Uefa Pro Licence and sporting director licence after retiring, described JDT's organisational model: he handles commercial work and broader planning while coaching duties are left to Xisco Munoz, and the club has brought Spanish coaches into the backroom and academy. "We want to increase the level of Malaysian football and have a fantastic academy. We brought Spanish coaches to the academy so we can get closer to the best, professional style of work," Garcia added, citing Spain's World Cup win as evidence of the value of long-term coaching programmes.
Acknowledging the financial gulf with some Asian rivals, Garcia detailed budget differences and reiterated the club's wider aims. "It was difficult against teams that [have] got budgets that pass over $150m (£111.2m) and we only have $15m, so it's quite a difference, a big gap between," he said. "But we want to contribute to the development of Malaysian football to reach the World Cup some day."
The Chelsea match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Sunday completes Alonso's pre-season itinerary and offers JDT a high-profile test before the domestic campaign resumes in August, when the club aim to extend their 108-game unbeaten run.
