Former Watford head coach Xisco Muñoz finds himself on the brink of football history, 6,500 miles from the club where he guided a promotion to the Premier League only to be sacked weeks into the following season. The Spaniard now manages Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) in the Malaysian Super League, and Friday's opening fixture against Kuching carries extraordinary weight: a draw or win would give JDT a new world record of 109 league matches without defeat, eclipsing the mark of 108 set by Ivory Coast's Asec Mimosas over three decades ago.
Since leaving Watford, Xisco has managed in Georgia, Cyprus and Slovakia before agreeing last summer to take charge at JDT, a club based near the Singapore border that has become the dominant force in Malaysian football. The unbeaten streak began in April 2021, long before his arrival, and he is quick to credit the club's foundations rather than take personal ownership of the achievement.
"It's difficult to not lose one game," Xisco said, speaking from his office at the 40,000-capacity Sultan Ibrahim Stadium. "Something might happen — one day someone is sleeping, or after 10 minutes the whole team is sleeping, or maybe you don't 100% concentrate in the first minutes and you concede two goals and it's difficult to change the game." He pointed to "the work of the boss in the last 13 years" as the reason JDT find themselves on the cusp of the record, adding: "Now it's only one game. The line is very close between success or frustration. This is important. We are so close to making history for unbeaten games in a row. This isn't normal in football."
JDT's rise has been driven by the Crown Prince of Johor, His Royal Highness Major General Tunku Ismail ibni Sultan Ibrahim, who bought the club in 2013 and transformed it into what is often described as Malaysia's answer to Manchester City. The club's structure mirrors European institutions, with former Liverpool Champions League winner Luis García serving as chief executive and ex-Valencia academy director Javier Ribera overseeing youth development. Xisco says the training facilities at JDT rival those found in the Premier League.
The manager, who was drawn to the project's ambition to elevate Malaysian football's global standing, believes Asian football offers room for growth that has become increasingly rare in Europe, where financial disparity has entrenched a handful of dominant clubs. "Every day it's more difficult to find good players. It's totally different here. Asia is a place for the future. Europe has problems with their economies. They are in one place and it's difficult to progress," he said.
Xisco also praised the backing he receives from the Crown Prince, who attends training sessions regularly and ensures the club is never short of resources. "Sometimes you are in some jobs, every time trying to cut some things because you have problems. Here, no. Always try to give the best to reach a high level," he explained, adding that he values the owner's demanding but supportive presence: "I like everything about him... He's a positive voice. He pushes us. He helps me a lot."
Having swept all before them domestically with 12 consecutive league titles, JDT's next ambition is deeper progress in the Asian Champions League, having reached the quarter-finals last season before losing to Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahli, a side featuring Ivan Toney and Riyad Mahrez. The competition brings logistical challenges unfamiliar in Europe, including a 6,000-mile round trip to face Japan's Machida Zelvia. "You need to manage a lot of situations that are totally different. The culture is totally different between Europe and Asia," Xisco noted.
A key attacking weapon for JDT is 24-year-old Arif Aiman, nicknamed the "Asian Messi," who scored in a recent 3-3 friendly against Chelsea. Xisco compared him to João Pedro, whom he coached at Watford, praising his unpredictability: "He was one of my big surprises... Arif has the same capacity — the capacity to change the game."
Based on reporting from The Guardian.