Kuala Lumpur City Football Club, known simply as KL City FC, is a Malaysian professional football club based in Kuala Lumpur. The club competes in the Malaysia Super League, the top level of Malaysian football, and was founded in 1974 as Federal Territory by the Kuala Lumpur Football Association (KLFA). It was later renamed Kuala Lumpur FA and Kuala Lumpur United, before renaming to its current name in 2021.
 | |||
| Full name | Kuala Lumpur City Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The City Boys[1][2] | ||
| Short name | KL City FC, KLCFC | ||
| Founded | 1974 (as Federal Territory)[3] | ||
| Ground | Kuala Lumpur Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 18,000 | ||
| Owner | Rinani Group Berhad Kuala Lumpur Football Association[4] | ||
| President | Fahmi Fadzil | ||
| Head coach | Miroslav Kuljanac | ||
| League | Malaysia Super League | ||
| 2023 | Malaysia Super League, 7th of 14 | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
Kuala Lumpur City won two Malaysian league titles, four Malaysian Cups, three Malaysian FA Cups, and three Malaysian Charity Shields. It also played in the group stages of the Asian Club Championship on two occasions.
Following its founding, a fierce rivalry developed between Kuala Lumpur and Selangor mainly due to their geographical location. The battle between these two teams is often referred to as the Klang Valley Derby, which was renewed in the 2010 season after Kuala Lumpur ended a seven-year spell in the second-tier with promotion to the Malaysia Super League. Kuala Lumpur were relegated to the second-tier Malaysia Premier League in 2012 and the following year, in 2013, Kuala Lumpur were relegated to the third-tier Malaysia FAM League for the first time in its history.
History
Kuala Lumpur had its most successful period in the late 1980s when they won the national league twice, in 1986 and 1988.[5] They also won the Malaysia Cup for three consecutive years (1987, 1988 and 1989).[6] The team enjoyed considerable success in cup competitions in the 1990s, winning the Malaysian FA Cup in 1993, 1994 and 1999.[6] Kuala Lumpur won the Malaysian Charity Shield on three occasions, in 1988, 1995 and 2000.[6]
In September 2020, the club was privatized in accordance to the privatization process by the Football Association of Malaysia and was renamed as Kuala Lumpur United.[7][8] In December 2020, Stanley Bernard was named the new CEO of the club.[9]
In March 2021, prior to the 2021 Malaysia Super League season, the team changed its name to Kuala Lumpur City.[10] During the same season, Kuala Lumpur City defeated Johor Darul Ta'zim 2–0 in the final of the 2021 Malaysia Cup, winning the cup for the first time in 32 years.[11]
In February 2023, Rinani Group Berhad acquired a majority stake in the club.[4]
Players
Current squad
- As of 11 May 2024[12]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | GK |  MAS | Hafizul Hakim |
| 23 | DF | MAS | Nicholas Swirad |
| 25 | DF | MAS | Anwar Ibrahim |
| 28 | MF | MAS | Paulo Josué (captain) |
| 29 | MF | MAS | Arif Shaqirin |
| 30 | GK | MAS | Azri Ghani |
| 33 | DF | MAS | Juzaerul Jasmi |
| 34 | DF | MAS | Khairul Naim |
| 37 | FW | MAS | Haqimi Azim |
| 42 | FW | MAS | Suhaimi Abu |
| 66 | DF | MAS | Nabil Hakim |
| 70 | MF | MAS | Hadi Mizei |
| 77 | MF | MAS | Sharvin Selvakumaran |
| 88 | MF | MAS | Brendan Gan |
Management and coaching staff
| Position | Staff[12] |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  Miroslav Kuljanac |
| Assistant head coach | Wan Rohaimi Wan Ismail |
| Assistant coach |  Ahmed Mohamed Sayed Mohamed Elwardani |
| Goalkeeper coach |  Guilherme Azevedo |
| Fitness coach | Mohd Azizan Ghazali |
| Physiotherapist | Renesh Prabaharan |
| Team admin | Al-Naliq Hasmi Abu Hassan |
| Media officer | Ahmad Shznazri Ahmad Hishamnuri |
| Masseurs | Hamzah Zakaria |
| Iqbal Afiq Azmi | |
| Kit managers | Muhammad Syafiq Danish |
| Muhammad Syahmi Syazwan |
List of head coaches
| Years | Nat. | Name | Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979–1981 | | Yunus Tasman | |
| 1982–1984 | | S. Subramaniam | |
| 1985–1986 |  | Jozef Vengloš | 1986 League Championship |
| 1987–1989 | | Chow Kwai Lam | 1987 Malaysia Cup 1988 Malaysia Cup 1989 Malaysia Cup 1988 League Championship 1988 Charity Shield Cup 1989 ASEAN Club Championship |
| 1990 | | Jozef Jankech | |
| 1991 | | Milouš Kvaček | |
| 1992 | | Chow Kwai Lam | |
| 1993 | | S. Subramaniam | 1993 Malaysia FA Cup |
| 1994 |  | Ken Shellito | 1994 Malaysia FA Cup |
| 1995 – May 1998 | | Chow Kwai Lam | 1995 Charity Shield Cup |
| May 1998 – June 2000 | | Mat Zan Mat Aris | 1999 Malaysia FA Cup 2000 Charity Shield Cup |
| June 2000 – December 2000 | | Lim Kim Lian | |
| 2001–2002 |  | Wathiq Naji | |
| 2001–2002 | | Lim Kim Lian | |
| 2003 |  | Igor Novak | |
| 2004–2007 | | Mat Zan Mat Aris | |
| January 2008 |  | Hans Jurgen Gede | |
| April 2008 – 2012 | | Razip Ismail | |
| 2013 | | Stanislav Leiskovsky | |
| 2014 | | Tang Siew Seng | |
| January 2015 |  | Ricardo Formosinho | |
| April 2015 | | Tang Siew Seng | |
| December 2015 – November 2016 | | Ismail Zakaria | |
| December 2016 – March 2017 | | Wanderley Junior | |
| March 2017 – September 2018 | | Fábio Magrão | 2017 Malaysia Premier League |
| December 2018 – March 2019 | | Yusri Che Lah | |
| March 2019 – June 2019 | | Chong Yee Fatt | |
| July 2019 – November 2019 | | Rosle Md Derus | |
| January 2020 – November 2020 | | Nidzam Adzha | |
| January 2021 – July 2023 | | Bojan Hodak | 2021 Malaysia Cup |
| July 2023 – March 2024 | | Nenad Baćina | |
| March 2024 – present | | Miroslav Kuljanac |
Honours
Domestic
League
- Malaysian First Division
- Winners (2): 1986, 1988
- Runners-up (3): 1982, 1987, 1989
- Malaysian Second Division
- Winners (1): 2017
- Malaysian Third Division
- Runners-up (1): 2014
Cup
- Malaysia Cup
- Winners (4): 1987, 1988, 1989, 2021
- Runners-up (1): 1985
- Malaysia FA Cup
- Winners (3): 1993, 1994, 1999
- Runners-up (2): 1992, 2023
- Malaysia Charity Shield
- Winners (3): 1988, 1995, 2000
- Runners-up (5): 1987, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2022
Continental
- 1994–95: Quarter-finals
U21 team
- Malaysian President's Cup
- Winners (3): 1989, 1992, 1998
- Runners-up (2): 1995, 2010
Season-by-season record
| Season | Division | Position | Malaysia Cup | Malaysian FA Cup | Malaysian Charity Shield | Continental | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As Federal Territory | |||||||
| 1979 | Preliminary | 16th of 17 | Did not qualify | — | — | — | |
| 1980 | Preliminary | 17th of 17 | Did not qualify | — | — | — | |
| 1981 | Preliminary | 14th of 17 | Did not qualify | — | — | — | |
| 1982 | League Cup | 2nd of 16 | Quarter-finals | — | — | — | |
| 1983 | League Cup | 8th of 16 | Quarter-finals | — | — | — | |
| 1984 | League Cup | 4th of 16 | Quarter-finals | — | — | — | |
| 1985 | League Cup | 5th of 16 | Runners-up | — | — | — | |
| 1986 | League Cup | 1st of 16 | Quarter-finals | — | — | — | |
| As Kuala Lumpur | |||||||
| 1987 | League Cup | 2nd of 17 | Winners | — | Runners-up | ACC – Group stage (2nd) | |
| 1988 | League Cup | 1st of 17 | Winners | — | Winners | — | |
| 1989 | Division 1 | 2nd of 9 | Winners | — | Runners-up | ACC – Group stage (2nd) | |
| 1990 | Division 1 | 4th of 10 | QF Group A (3rd of 4) | First round | Runners-up | — | |
| 1991 | Division 1 | 4th of 10 | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | — | — | |
| 1992 | Division 1 | 5th of 10 | Semi-finals | Runners-up | — | — | |
| 1993 | Division 1 | 9th of 10 | Did not qualify | Winners | — | — | |
| 1994 | Liga Perdana | 11th of 16 | Did not qualify | Winners | Runners-up | ACWC – Quarter-finals | |
| 1995 | Liga Perdana | 11th of 15 | Did not qualify | R1 Group E (3rd of 4) | Winners | — | |
| 1996 | Liga Perdana | 14th of 15 | Did not qualify | First round | — | — | |
| 1997 | Liga Perdana | 9th of 15 | QF Group A (4th of 5) | Quarter-finals | — | — | |
| 1998 | Perdana 1 | 8th of 12 | QF Group A (4th of 5) | Semi-finals | — | — | |
| 1999 | Perdana 1 | 5th of 10 | QF Group B (5th of 6) | Winners | — | — | |
| 2000 | Perdana 1 | 8th of 12 | QF Group B (3rd of 4) | Semi-finals | Winners | — | |
| 2001 Details | Perdana 1 | 10th of 12 | QF Group A (4th of 4) | Second round | — | — | |
| 2002 | Perdana 1 | 13th of 14 | Did not qualify | Second round | — | — | |
| 2003 | Perdana 2 | 5th of 12 | Did not qualify | First round | — | — | |
| 2004 | Liga Premier Group B | 3rd of 13 | R1 Group C (4th of 4) | Second round | — | — | |
| 2005 | Liga Premier Group A | 4th of 8 | R1 Group C (4th of 4) | Semi-finals | — | — | |
| 2006 | Liga Premier Group B | 5th of 8 | Did not qualify | First round | — | — | |
| 2007 | Liga Premier | 7th of 11 | R1 Group A (3rd of 6) | First round | — | — | |
| 2008 | Liga Premier | 12th of 13 | R1 Group B (4th of 6) | Second round | — | — | |
| 2009 | Liga Premier | 4th of 13 | R1 Group C (3rd of 4) | Second round | — | — | |
| 2010 Details | Super League | 9th of 14 | R1 Group B (4th of 4) | Second round | — | — | |
| 2011 Details | Super League | 12th of 14 | R1 Group D (3rd of 4) | Quarter-finals | — | — | |
| 2012 Details | Super League | 14th of 14 | Did not qualify | Second round | — | — | |
| 2013 | Premier League | 11th of 12 | Did not qualify | First round | — | — | |
| 2014 | FAM League | 2nd of 12 | Did not qualify | First round | — | — | |
| 2015 | Premier League | 11th of 12 | Did not qualify | Third round | — | — | |
| 2016 | Premier League | 5th of 12 | R1 Group B (4th of 4) | Quarter-finals | — | — | |
| 2017 Details | Premier League | 1st of 12 | Group Stage | Second round | — | — | |
| 2018 Details | Super League | 10th of 12 | Group Stage | Quarter-finals | — | — | |
| 2019 Details | Super League | 12th of 12 | Did not qualify | Quarter-finals | — | — | |
| 2020 Details | Premier League | 3rd of 12 | Cancelled[a] | — | — | ||
| As Kuala Lumpur City | |||||||
| 2021 Details | Super League | 6th of 12 | Winners | Not held | — | — | |
| 2022 Details | Super League | 6th of 12 | Quarter-finals | Second round | Runners-up | AFC – Runners-up | |
| 2023 Details | Super League | 7th of 14 | Semi-finals | Runners-up | — | — | |
- Note: A single round-robin league system was instituted in 1979 following the entry of Brunei FA, Kuala Lumpur FA, Sabah FA and Sarawak FA into mainstream Malaysian football. For three years until 1981, the league remained no more than a preliminary round for the knock-out stages of the Malaysia Cup. In 1982, a League Cup was introduced to differentiate the league winners from the Malaysia Cup champions.
Continental record
All results list Kuala Lumpur's goal tally first.
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Asian Club Championship | Qualifying round (Group 6) |  Tiong Bahru | 0–0 | 1st out of 4 | |
 Kota Ranger | 8–1 | |||||
 Krama Yudha Tiga Berlian | 2–0 | |||||
| Semi-finals (Group B) |  August 1 | 1–1 | 2nd out of 4 | |||
 Yomiuri FC | 1–0 | |||||
 Kazma SC | 1–1 | |||||
| 1989–90 | Asian Club Championship | Qualifying round (Group 5) |  Philippine Air Force | 6–0 | 1st out of 5 | |
| Muara Stars | 7–1 | |||||
| Pelita Jaya | 2–1 | |||||
| Geylang International | 4–2 | |||||
| Semi-finals (Group A) | Nissan Yokohama | 1–2 | 2nd out of 3 | |||
 Fanja | 2–0 | |||||
| 1994–95 | Asian Cup Winners' Cup | First round | ABDB | 5–1 | 2–0 | 7–1 |
| Second round | Gelora Dewata | 2–1 | 0–2 | w/o[a] | ||
| Quarter-finals |  Telephone Org. Thailand | 2–3 (a.e.t.) | 1–2 | 3–5 | ||
| 2022 | AFC Cup | Group H | PSM Makassar | 0–0 | 2nd out of 3 | |
| Tampines Rovers | 2–1 | |||||
| ASEAN Zonal semi-finals |  Viettel | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (6–5 p) | ||||
| ASEAN Zonal final | PSM Makassar | 5–2 | ||||
| Inter-zone play-off semi-finals |  ATK Mohun Bagan | 3–1 | ||||
| Inter-zone play-off final |  Sogdiana Jizzakh | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (5–3 p) | ||||
| Final |  Al-Seeb | 0–3 | ||||
| 2024–25 | ASEAN Club Championship | Group B |  Kaya–Iloilo | |||
| Borneo Samarinda | ||||||
| Lion City Sailors | ||||||
| Công An Hà Nội | ||||||
| Buriram United | ||||||