Xisco and Johor Darul Ta’zim can break world unbeaten record in Malaysian Super League opener

Xisco Muñoz’s Johor Darul Ta’zim are poised to set a world record of 109 consecutive league matches unbeaten in the Malaysian Super League opener against Kuching on Friday in Malaysia; Xisco warned, "This isn’t normal in football."

Xisco is the former Watford manager who led the club into the Premier League as Championship runners-up in 2021 and was dismissed less than two months into the following season. Since moving into coaching he has taken jobs in Georgia, Cyprus and Slovakia, and last summer agreed to manage Johor Darul Ta’zim, a club based just across the border from Singapore. The team has been owned and significantly reshaped since the Crown Prince purchased it in 2013, a process the article describes as turning JDT into "a sort of Manchester City of Malaysia."

JDT enter Friday’s match on a 108-game unbeaten league run that began in April 2021; avoiding defeat would extend that streak to 109 and surpass the Ivorian side Asec Mimosas’ 32-year-old benchmark. Xisco emphasised the difficulty of maintaining such a run, saying, "It’s difficult to not lose one game," and adding, "Something might happen – one day someone is sleeping, or after 10 minutes the whole team is sleeping, or maybe you don’t 100% concentrate in the first minutes and you concede two goals and it’s difficult to change the game."

The club’s rise has been backed by substantial resources from the royal owner, with Xisco crediting "the work of the boss in the last 13 years" for JDT’s position. He says the club’s facilities match those in the Premier League and that when staff request equipment the Crown Prince provides it, a contrast Xisco described by explaining, "Sometimes you are in some jobs, every time trying to cut some things because you have problems. Here, no. Always try to give the best to reach a high level."

JDT have recruited experienced figures to mirror a European model: Luis García is the club’s chief executive and Javier Ribera serves as academy director. Xisco said he was initially attracted by "the project"—not just winning domestically but raising Malaysian football’s standards and profile—and argued there is growth potential in Asia compared with European markets, saying, "Every day it’s more difficult to find good players. It’s totally different here. Asia is a place for the future. Europe has problems with their economies. They are in one place and it’s difficult to progress."

Xisco highlighted the challenges of continental competition, including long travel, squad management and tactical adaptation; he arranges competitive XI v XI training using JDT’s 40-player squad to address those demands. Last season JDT reached the Asian Champions League quarter-finals, losing to Saudi side Al-Ahli, whose team included Ivan Toney and Riyad Mahrez, and Xisco noted travel to some away ties can be extensive, citing a 6,000-mile round trip to play Japanese side Machida Zelvia. He also pointed to Arif Aiman, a 24-year-old dubbed the "Asian Messi" who scored in a recent 3-3 friendly with Chelsea, and compared him to João Pedro: "In modern football, sometimes we don’t have this type of class."

The Crown Prince remains intimately involved in the club, attending many training sessions with a security detail and arriving in supercars or motorcades, and Xisco expressed his approval, saying, "I like everything about him. It’s true. I don’t know how long I will be here. I never know, because football is about results. But right now I’m happy. I feel well with him. He’s a positive voice. He pushes us. He helps me a lot." JDT have dominated domestically, having won 12 consecutive titles.

The immediate requirement is clear: avoid defeat against Kuching on Friday to claim a 109th straight unbeaten league match and overtake Asec Mimosas’ long-standing record, after which JDT will press on with their campaign in the Asian Champions League where they reached the quarter-finals last season.