Irfan Fandi, eldest son of Fandi Ahmad was invited for trials at top tier Portuguese football club, Braga just last month.
After weeks of trials, Irfan was offered a 2 + 2 year contract from Braga, allowing him to join for 2 years, with an option to extend for another 2 more years.
While most of us would have put pen to paper if offered such a lucrative contract, Irfan thought otherwise.
He mentioned that while he enjoyed the football being played at the club, he was put off by how lonely he felt.
This was his quote,
Football was great, it was fun. But I just felt really alone, really bored a lot of the time. If my family was there it would have been a different case, but I was alone and it was really hard for me.
He also cited the long duration of the contract, as well as the penalty for breaking the contract as reasons for his eventual decision.
However, this does not spell the end of his dream of playing overseas, since he has also received contracts from clubs in Chile and other countries in the region.
Irfan currently plays for the Young Lions which features in the Singapore Premier League.
Netizens did not react very well to news of his rejection.
One netizen accused him of being a “strawberry”, in reference to the Strawberry Generation who were born after 1984.
People under the Strawberry Generation are often perceived as being overprotected by their parents and cannot withstand social pressure and hard work.
Others gave him stick for rejecting a deal that many other footballers can only dream of.
This netizen urged Irfan to take a page out of Cristiano Ronaldo’s career.
These netizens analysed the situation further.
They concluded that Irfan must be a promising footballer for Braga to offer him a contract in the first place.
Even Singaporean tycoon Peter Lim, who played a pivotal role in securing the Braga trials for Irfan, was disappointed.
Here’s a quote from his spokesperson,
Many 17- or 18-year-old boys are now already breaking into top-level professional football. Braga are a top-level club that have played in the Champions League. There is no easy ride to the top and opportunities are extremely hard to come by. We are very disappointed.
We can discuss about this all we want but at the end of the day, Irfan is ultimately the one making the decision for himself.
Even if Irfan chooses to place his well-being before his career, there ain’t nothing wrong with that.
After all, Irfan, like everyone of us, are allowed to prioritise different things in our lives.
Regardless, we’re confident that Irfan knows himself best and will make the decision that he will be most pleased with.
Featured image from ChannelNewsAsia, Irfan Fandi on Instagram, Facebook.
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