Thailand coach Milovan Rajevac's plan to spirit away the national team to Europe for a two-week camp during the mid-season break in Thai League 1 in May and June has come under fire.
Buriram United supremo Newin Chidchob's frank opposition to the plan yesterday has once again highlighted the growing discontent among the top-flight clubs with the way the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) is running the league.
Rajevac recently announced his plan to take the Thai national team to Austria for a two-week training stint during the mid-season hiatus.
The veteran Serbian coach has drawn up plans for the national team to play some friendly matches against Austrian clubs.
"I love my country and that is the reason that I am questioning the feasibility of the planned exercise," said Newin, whose Buriram are the defending Thai League 1 champions.
"Has anyone taken into account the logistics involved?" asked Newin, adding: "Just think of the travelling -- it will take four days to get there and back.
"The players will need to get themselves used to the weather, going through all this trouble to play only two warm-up matches.
"It will deprive the players of any meaningful rest during the break in the league and they will be left exhausted."
Newin also questioned the benefits the training camp holds for the Thai players.
"Is it really worth to play warm-up matches with European teams?" he questioned.
"We actually should play with South Korea, Japan or other Asian teams. Their [the Europeans'] style of football is totally different. I think it could in fact affect our players' ability to handle the Asian teams they face more frequently," added the Thunder Castle chairman.
While Newin is the first high-ranking Thai League 1 team official to openly speak against the FAT's plans for the national team, other leading clubs have held back their key players from representing different Thai squads.
The senior national team took part in several important games missing a number of regulars last year.
Thailand, for the same reason, also sent an under-strength side to this year's AFC U23 Championship in China, where they were eliminated in the first round while Asean rivals Vietnam reached the final.
Ziege's claim rejected
Former Germany international Christian Ziege's recent remarks that he quit Thai League 1 team Ratchaburi Mitr Phol because he didn't want to serve as a "puppet" coach have been refuted by the club.
Ziege, who ended his contract with the team after just two league matches, took a swipe at the club management while speaking to the German media recently.
"During the first warm-up match, some players were sent to the pitch without me knowing about it. I did not come here [Ratchaburi] to be ordered by anyone. If you decide things by yourself, it means I am just a puppet," said Ziege.
Ratchaburi director Robert Procuerer said Ziege left the team because of personal reasons and social media was wrong to squarely blame team manager Tanawat Nitikanjana.
"Ziege had personal problems, so much so that he couldn't focus on the team," claimed Procuerer.
"Mr Tanawat never interfered. He only acted in good faith and tried to advise Ziege, which is a normal thing in every team.
"Ziege had problems settling down in Ratchaburi. He had problems with the food. In fact he had problems with everything."
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