Satoshi to leave the Cambodian Premier League

As reported by us yesterday Satoahi Saito the CEO of the Cambodian Premier League is to leave his position as head of the organization following complaints from both clubs and the FFC about alleged financial mismanagement.

You can read our interview with Satoshi here.

What do we know so far?

It has been reported that Satoshi has not been sacked, but that the Football Federation of Cambodia, buoyed on by concerns from top-tier clubs have decided not to renew his contract, which is set to run out in December.

It is believed that this has been discussed at club level for a number of weeks, with the final decision for a change at the top happening over the last few days. 

Financial mismanagement in the CPL

According to multiple sources the core problem with Satoshi has centered around how money has been managed in the CPL, as well as a lack of funding  brought into the league.

One CPL 1 club manager who asked not to be named told us the following “From what we are aware a budget of $3 million has been spent by the CPL, but with no actual income being brought in during this period. This has meant no extra money for clubs, despite extra expenses being incurred related to club licensing”.

And financial issues have seemingly plagued the league since its inception, with 9 clubs either going bankrupt,  or dropping out of the league in the last 12 months, as opposed to just one club in the 3 years preaching the formation of the league.

This has led to problems not just in the top-tier, but also in CPL 2, also known as the Cambodian Second League, with the CPL having failed to pay club expenses for the their last two matches.

This in itself could lead to clubs gong bankrupt before the end of the season with one CPL 2 General-Manager telling us “It is almost like a cruel joke, we are waiting for expenses related to matches we have played, while the league big wigs get private driven cars to watch matches. The reality is that if things do not get fixed more clubs will go bankrupt before the end of the season”.

Yet while there might well be immediate problems, some felt it would at least work out better in the long run with another CPL 2 reprobative stating “We are worried about money in the short-term, but things have been so bad that we welcome any change that might make things better in the long-term”.

Has the CPL gone bankrupt?

Another rumour that has not yet been confirmed is that the private company that runs the Cambodian Premier League has not only ran out of money, but will also be going bankrupt, potentially leaving the CPL at serious risk of not being able to continue. We spoke to at least one member os staff at the CPL who confirmed that they would be leaving due to the uncertainty.

And what next for the league? It is hoped and indeed expected that the Football Federation of Cambodia will take over the league, so that it can at least complete the 2023-24 season, even if it is not under the management of the CPL.

Whether a new CEO is sought for the league, or if they regress and go back to an FFC/CNCC run competition is yet to be seen, but no matter what clubs and fans alike will bd desperate to know where exactly the $3 million dollars has gone.

As another General-Manager put it “People are not only angry about the level of transparency, but by how this farce was allowed to go on for so long. There are serous questions now being asked and people will want serious answers”.

We reached out to the Cambodian Premier League for comment, but did not receive a reply.