Johor Darul Ta’zim CEO Luis Garcia discusses Chelsea game and his team’s world record unbeaten streak

By Neel Shelat

Expect to hear about Johor Darul Ta’zim a fair bit in the coming weeks. Chelsea fans will certainly come across the Malaysian giants when the Blues turn up in Johor for a pre-season friendly in the first half of August. More importantly, though, the Southern Tigers will have 21 August marked on their calendar as the date they can etch their name into global footballing history.

JDT matched the 108-match men’s record of unbeaten domestic top-flight matches in the 2025/26 season when they completed yet another invincible season with just one draw and 23 wins en route to a 12th-consecutive league title. They went on to seal a fourth-consecutive domestic quadruple, winning both cups and the Charity Shield as well.

What makes their dominance all the more impressive is the fact that JDT had not won a single major honour prior to their first league title in 2014. Based in the southernmost state in the Malay Peninsula, the club was founded as PKENJ FC in 1972 and later rebranded to Johor FC in 1996. However, it was in the early 2010s that their fortunes underwent a dramatic turnaround thanks to royal backing.

Soon after being appointed as the President of the Johor Football Association, the Crown Prince of Johor Tunku Ismail Idris began undertaking a restructuring of the state’s flailing footballing setup. With most clubs struggling financially, he decided to channel focus into the renamed Johor Darul Ta’zim, which now stood as the region’s leading club.

With significant financial backing, JDT were able to quickly assemble a superstar squad by Liga Super standards. They established themselves as serious contenders in almost no time, and even went on to win a continental honour as soon as 2015 in the AFC Cup (the secondary Asian competition at the time). They have not looked back since.

The big names in Johor Darul Ta’zim’s ranks aren’t just on the pitch; they can also be found in the boardroom. Former Spanish international Luis García, whose club career includes names like Barcelona, Liverpool and Atlético Madrid, became their CEO in 2025. Speaking exclusively to FotMob from their pre-season training camp in Spain, he revealed some of the secrets to JDT’s success.

“I think the key is having His Royal Highness behind it. His leadership is key for the success of this team. His standards are very high. He is a person really determined to leave a legacy in Johor, in Malaysia, with a team that beats all the records,” García said, referring to Tunku Ismail. He added, “When you’re winning 10 or 12 times the domestic league, the most important thing is to have someone who says, ‘No, no, it’s not enough’. We need to continue going. I think we’ve got a fantastic group that believes in those values.”

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the work of the people involved behind the scenes at the club. “If you have a look at our staff, they are top class. They control exactly everything that happens to the players, what they need. We try to give them the best of the best. We’ve got the best nutritionists, we’ve got the best fitness coaches, we’ve got the best rehab.”

In Xisco Muñoz, they now also have a coach who is experienced at the highest level of the game, having previously led Watford to the English Premier League. García and Muñoz had previously crossed paths as opponents in their playing days, but as they now work together, the former spoke very highly of his fellow countryman. “He’s a fantastic, fantastic guy. He’s so humble.”

“He’s been at the highest level and that gives you that composure in the right moments. In the tough moments when you need to be more calm, when you need to analyse exactly what is happening, he does so well. That’s why last year we were so successful in all competitions.”

Indeed, 2025/26 was a historic season for JDT not just because of what they achieved on the domestic front, but also because of their historic run to the AFC Champions League Elite quarter-finals. While they may be utterly dominant in Malaysia, this is where they are really tested to the limit as they face sides with significantly greater budgets. Last season, for instance, they were knocked out by Saudi side Al Ahli, who went on to win the trophy.

García revealed that the ACL Elite is the club’s biggest target currently. “We want to compete. We want to at least be there and challenge the mighty Saudi Arabian teams.” He added, “We are making the team every year more competitive, stronger in every line and we’ve got a fantastic coach that is bringing the best of his knowledge.”

While JDT continue to enjoy success almost everywhere they go, they have also entered a cycle which has made their financial and on-field dominance almost entirely unrivalled in Malaysia. This isn’t ideal for the health of the league, and the state of the national team isn’t at its best either, particularly after the naturalisation scandal (involving some JDT players as well) that rocked them last year.

JDT, for their part, can only focus on themselves. They certainly can’t be faulted for a lack of ambition or hard work, which has continued into this pre-season. Setting up a match with a team of the stature of reigning Club World Cup champions Chelsea is a reflection of just that. “Of course, people are very excited. Chelsea are coming to Malaysia and to Johor, something that never happened before. I’m sure that they’re going to enjoy the stadium, the facilities and we are going to try to welcome them,” Garcia said. “We know that it’s a tough team and it’s going to be difficult, but for us it’s a really good test”.

Thereafter, all efforts will be focused towards August 21 and beyond. JDT take on Kuching City in the Liga Super Malaysia season opener, when they will have the chance to break ASEC Mimosas’ world record.

“Passing the 108 [match] unbeaten streak in a domestic league, that’s something really special for us,” García concluded. “After that, the challenge will start with the league once again, where we know that we are going to compete against big teams, stronger, and again, with the mind on repeating and going to Saudi for the [ACLE] quarterfinals.”

(Images courtasy of Johor Darul Ta’zim)

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