Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C.

History

Foundation and early years

The club were founded in 1972 as PKENJ FC. After winning the Malaysia FAM Cup twice, the Johor Corporation (a state funded corporation) decided to takeover the club in 1996 and changed its name to Johor Football Club (Johor FC). The club finished as runners-up in the 1996 season.

In 1998, Johor FC were promoted to the second tier Malaysian football league, Liga Perdana 2 and won the title in 2001 which secured promotion to the first division, Liga Perdana 1. After two years in the top division, Johor FC were relegated to the new second-division, the Malaysia Premier League after failing to achieve promotion to the new top division, the Malaysia Super League during the 2003 season. The club earned an automatic promotion to the Malaysia Super League during the 2006–07 season after the Football Association of Malaysia's decision to expand the league to 14 teams and were a regular top 5 finisher in the league. Johor FC were the first club team in the Malaysian football league system to enter the Malaysia Cup in 2000 under English manager Bruce Stowell. The Malaysia Cup was previously dominated by state teams and by defeating ATM on aggregate in the second-round group qualification, the club marked another record in the competition. The club also participated in the AFC Cup in 2009 replacing Negeri Sembilan when the latter qualified but did not proceed to compete in the competition.

Decline and transformation of Johor FC (2010–2012)

By 2011, Johor FC experienced a period of decline driven by escalating financial troubles and a major reduction in corporate funding from Johor Corporation (JCorp). This lack of funding directly triggered a massive slump in on-pitch performance, a depleted squad, and dwindling fan attendance at the Pasir Gudang Stadium. The club's struggles peaked during the 2012 season, where they underperformed heavily, suffered critical operational losses, and barely escaped relegation in the Malaysia Super League by finishing just above the drop zone in 9th place.

This internal downfall mirrored a broader state crisis; Johorean football was in its poorest state, heavily underperforming and plagued by high-profile match-fixing investigations. While Johor FC fought relegation in the top flight, other local clubs — Johor FA, MBJB F.C., and MP Muar F.C. — struggled to survive in the second-tier Malaysia Premier League.

To save the teams from bankruptcy, Tunku Ismail Idris, who was appointed as the new President of Johor FA (PBNJ) on 16 February 2012, initiated a bold strategic revamp to consolidate Johorean football under a single management. Consequently, all Johor-based clubs except Johor FC and Johor FA were withdrawn from the league. Both remaining teams were placed under unified control and arranged in numerical order, completely absorbing Johor FC's top-flight slot. In December 2012, the Football Association of Malaysia approved the rebranding to Darul Ta'zim FC for the upcoming 2013 season, which was later renamed Johor Darul Ta'zim Football Club (JDT).

The transformation era

Officially, 2013 was the first year in which the Southern Tigers made its debut under the new transformation initiative. A fully refurnished Larkin Stadium was made to accommodate more fans. With the introduction of season passes, it allowed fans entry to all competitive matches for an entire season. At the start of the 2013 season, Fandi Ahmad was handed the role of head coach of the team in the Malaysia Super League, while the Malaysia Premier League team was handled by former international and Johor player, Azmi Mohamed, with the assistance of compatriot Ismail Ibrahim. Before the start of the season, Johor signed former Spanish international Dani Güiza and Italian midfielder Simone Del Nero. However, both left in the middle of the season. JDT managed to reach the 2013 Malaysia FA Cup final on away goals rule, defeating Pahang FA. In the final, JDT lost 1–0 to Kelantan FA. During the middle of the 2013 season, Fandi Ahmad was relieved of his coaching duties, but would stay on as the team's manager. Azmi Mohamed became JDT's coach on an interim basis while waiting for the arrival of a new head coach. In the first season after the club's transformation, JDT managed to finish third in the 2013 Malaysian Super League. Later on, just a day before the 2013 Malaysia Cup kicked off, Fandi Ahmad resigned as team manager and parted ways with Johor FA amicably. With the motivation to rejuvenate the glory days of the past into the future, JDT appointed former Valencia and Atlético Madrid manager Cesar Ferrando Jimenez as the new club's head coach.

In February 2014, Bojan Hodak was appointed as team manager to assist Cesar Jimenez in managerial duties. On 26 June 2014, JDT secured their first national league title by defeating Sarawak FA 1–0. In the 2014 Malaysia Cup campaign, JDT made it through to the final for the first time in 23 years, emulating the former Johor FA that won the double (league and Malaysia Cup triumphs). Billed as the "Match of Heavyweights", it was a highly anticipated match between JDT (league champions) and Pahang (Malaysia FA Cup winners). JDT lost 5–3 in the penalty shoot-out.

On 31 January 2015, JDT competed in the Piala Sumbangsih for the first time in the club's history, qualifying to the competition as the 2014 Malaysian champions. They defeated Pahang 2–0 to win the trophy. The club made their debut in the AFC Cup on 24 February 2015 with a 4–1 win over East Bengal in the first game of the group stage. In late April 2015, the head coach Bojan Hodak left the club and was replaced by Roberto Carlos Mario Gómez. As the new head coach, he was also given the authority to revamp youth development programmes in JDT, especially its development squads, from JDT II to JDT V.

2021: Domestic dominance and the Malaysia Cup "wake-up call"

In 2021, Johor Darul Ta'zim secured their eighth consecutive Malaysia Super League title. However, their domestic campaign ended on a bitter note when they suffered a shocking 2–0 defeat to Kuala Lumpur City in the 2021 Malaysia Cup final. Club owner Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim described the defeat as a "wake-up call", stating that the team had become "too comfortable and overconfident" after years of success. The defeat prompted Tunku Ismail to reverse his initial plans to take a hiatus from football management, vowing instead to aggressively restructure and reinvest in the squad for the subsequent seasons.

The Dominance Era (2022–present)

Following the 2021 Malaysia Cup defeat, Johor Darul Ta'zim underwent a squad restructuring. The club parted ways with several long-serving players and technical staff while introducing new international players to strengthen the squad.

This rebuild produced immediate results in 2022. Under Benjamin Mora and later Héctor Bidoglio, JDT achieved a continental milestone by becoming the first Malaysian club to qualify for the AFC Champions League round of 16, topping a group that included Kawasaki Frontale and Ulsan Hyundai. Domestically, the team won all four domestic competitions, securing the club's first domestic quadruple consisting of Malaysia Super League, Malaysia FA Cup, Malaysia Cup and Malaysia Charity Shield.

In 2023, under the stewardship of Esteban Solari, JDT continued their success. The club retained their domestic success by capturing a second consecutive domestic quadruple. During this season, they broke national records by scoring 100 league goals in a single season and winning the Super League title with an unprecedented fifteen-point margin.

The dominance continued into the rebranded 2024–25 season when Bidoglio returned for his second stint as head coach. Under his guidance, JDT secured a third consecutive domestic quadruple while remaining unbeaten in all domestic competitions.

By the conclusion of the 2025–26 season, JDT continued their domestic success while recording their best continental performance to date. Domestically, the club clinched a twelfth consecutive Malaysia Super League title and completed a fourth consecutive domestic quadruple. Remarkably, JDT extended a domestic league unbeaten streak to 108 matches, equaling a world record. They also set a new league scoring record with 117 goals, which included a 14–1 victory over Kelantan The Real Warriors. On the continental stage, JDT reached the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite, securing victories over Japanese clubs Vissel Kobe and Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

Club ownership

On the eve of the 2016 season, JDT officially came under the ownership of Tunku Ismail in a statement released by Johor FA dated 10 January 2016. It further clarified that JDT were now turned into a full-fledged professional outfit, as a separate entity from the Johor FA which organises the overall football development programme in the state. As the JDT owner, Tunku Ismail is directly involved in the decision-making process and club management, compared to his previous role as the Royal Patron of Johor FA, when he provided directions and counsel. A day later, former Johor striker who was a key member of the historic double-winning team of 1991, Alistair Edwards was appointed as JDT's Sporting Director to assist Tunku Ismail. The move was seen as part of the privatisation process and a strategic initiative on how Malaysia football clubs should be run and managed professionally including the youth development in the region.

Shortly after, on 12 January 2016, the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar decided to give RM50 million as a reward to the club. After a successful 2015 season, when the club won the Super League, the Piala Sumbangsih, and the AFC Cup, Sultan Ibrahim made the decision to contribute RM50 million as he was satisfied with how football in the state had united the citizens of Johor and put the state's name on the map.

In an interview published on the club's social media in early December 2016, the majority shareholder in the club is Tunku Ismail himself, who holds 70% of the club.

As part of the restructuring process, the club made an unexpected announcement by naming Luciano Figueroa as the new Sporting Director. His responsibility and focus was on the first team and to assist the head coach, Ulisses Morais. Meanwhile, the previous Sporting Director, Alistair Edwards was reassigned as the new Technical Director and would be responsible to oversee all JDT development and grassroot programmes.

Appointment of Tunku Tun Aminah as JDT's President

On 27 July 2016, Tunku Tun Aminah binti Sultan Ibrahim, the sister of Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, has been appointed as the President of Johor DT. Besides focusing on the youth development and attracting youth into sporting activities and active lifestyles, she is also considering an establishment of a JDT women's football team in the near future.

JDT Foundation

The JDT foundation was registered on 9 August 2016. The mission behind the formation of the foundation is to collect funds and distribute aids to the development of the club.

Just days before the 2016 Malaysia FA Cup final, the club announced JDT Foundation (Malay: Yayasan JDT), was launched officially in September 2016 as the platform for JDT supporters to be more involved with the team in terms of the team's future and the development of JDT football programmes. JDT Foundation Board of Trustees Chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad said that it would give opportunity for JDT fans to actually have a "say" in the football club through proper ownership.

With the establishment of the JDT Foundation, fans can become shareholders of the club and send representatives to have meetings with the club officials to understand the club's direction and plans including its monthly financial statement which was planned to be released informing them on all expenditures and its costs. After several postponements, JDT Foundation is slated to be launched in mid January 2017.

The foundation's Membership Card launch was held at the Persada International Convention Centre in Johor Bahru on 7 December 2016.

Kit manufacturers

From the 1970s to 2012, the JDT team kit was manufactured by various companies including Adidas, Kappa, Joma, and Jking.

In the 2014 season, JDT became the first Malaysian club to have Nike as their official kit sponsor. In November 2014, Nike Malaysia created a new special kit for their 2015 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off campaign.

On the eve of 2016 season, JDT's signed a contract with Adidas. The new kits were officially unveiled with a commercial video featuring JDT footballers inside the Senai International Airport terminal. The jerseys featured three different designs in red, white and blue, representing the colours of the Johor state flag.

In November 2016, JDT announced that they have signed a three-year deal with Nike, starting with the 2017 season. It was the biggest kit sponsorship ever signed by a Malaysian club. The three-year cooperation encompassed all the teams under JDT, namely main squad, JDT II, JDT III, and JDT IV. The official kit was unveiled on 12 January 2017.

Crest and colours

The club crest is derived from the Johor State Council coat of arms, although all that remains of it on the current crest is the part of the tiger's head.

In 2013, JDT adopted a new logo, featuring a more ferocious looking tiger and a darker colour scheme.

Supporters

In 2022, Johor Darul Ta'zim had five million followers on social media, the highest among Malaysian sports clubs. Boys of Straits (formerly known as Southern Trooper) is the name of the official supporters of the club. The main colours of the supporters are usually blue with a red scarf and banners, like the team's kits colours. The supporters always bring drums and large colorful flags to the stadiums.

Known for their constant singing, drumming, and rallying team throughout a match, they have consistently built-up the spirit of togetherness and camaraderie among the fans of the club's home and away matches. It caught the attention of Hong Kong media during the 2016 AFC Cup quarter-final match with South China AA when they singled out South China's captain Chan Wai Ho for verbal abuse during the second leg of the tie.

Inter Johor Firm was created to support Johor Darul Ta'zim. The early aim of the creation of IJF was to protect JDT fans in away games. But when the fan groups went over capacity, IJF were implicated with a football hooliganism scandal. In late 2014, IJF was officially banned by the club's president to enter any home or away matches.

Rivalries

Sri Pahang

The rivalry with Sri Pahang began to develop in 2013 after a 3–2 loss in the club's debut in the Malaysia Super League, and an event of overcrowding and crowd trouble during the Malaysia FA Cup semi-final second leg match at Darul Makmur Stadium on 28 May 2013.

Since then, it has developed into a tense competition between both sides. It has also created a great atmosphere for supporters and fans of both sides.

Southern Derby

The rivalry between Johor Darul Ta'zim and two clubs from the neighboring states, Melaka United and Negeri Sembilan, is collectively known as the Southern Derby (Derbi Selatan). The rivalry with Melaka United intensified following Melaka's return to the top flight in 2017, leading to a surge in attendance whenever the two sides met. The clash represents the historical link and sporting competition between the two neighboring territories.

The rivalry with Negeri Sembilan is one of the most intense regional fixtures, peaking between 2011 and 2013. During this era, matches were characterized by high-tension atmospheres and fierce competition as both clubs fought for dominance in the Malaysia Super League and Malaysia Cup.

Felda United

Beginning in 2013, with JDT's resurrection and emergence as one of Malaysia's football powerhouse to fight for the league titles and other domestic cup campaigns, Felda United became one of the club's main rivals. Between 2013 and 2016, the two sides met on 12 occasions, with JDT triumphant six times, Felda United thrice, with the remaining three games being draws.

In the 2014 edition of the Malaysia Cup, the clubs met in the semi-final for a place in the final. JDT went into the match hoping to complete a double after winning the 2014 Malaysia Super League title, whereas Felda United were trying to salvage their season with a cup final appearance and the possibility of winning silverware after being the losing side in the 2014 Malaysia FA Cup final. After Felda won 4–3 in the first leg in a waterlogged pitch at Selayang Stadium, JDT won the second leg 3–1 and earned a place in the final with a 6–5 aggregate victory.

Towards the end of the 2015 season, Johor lost 2–1 at home to Felda United in the quarter-finals of the Malaysia Cup. It was the first home loss for JDT since 2013.

Over the course of the 2016 season, the rivalry became highly competitive and intense with both clubs competing for the league title. On Match Day 18 (24 August 2016), the two sides met in a head-to-head match, dubbed as the "Top of the Table Clash". With JDT as the league leaders and four remaining league games, Felda United were determined to stop JDT from creating history as the first Malaysian club to win three consecutive league titles. Playing away at Felda United's home ground, JDT managed to win 3–2 in the title decider.

Stadiums

Throughout its history, the club has played at three main home grounds.

Current ground

The Sultan Ibrahim Stadium was completed in January 2020 and is located within the vicinity of JDT Sports City. The club's new headquarters are part of the stadium complex. The stadium has a capacity for 40,000 spectators and was constructed by Country Garden Pacificview at the cost of MYR 200 million. It is named after the state's ruler, Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor.

Past grounds

The club's roots were established at the Pasir Gudang Corporation Stadium, which served as the home ground for Johor FC before the club rebranded as Johor Darul Ta'zim in 2013.

Between 2013 and 2019, Johor Darul Ta'zim played their home games at Tan Sri Dato' Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium, also known as Larkin Stadium. The stadium was originally built in 1964, with a capacity of 15,000 spectators. The stadium is named after the former Menteri Besar of Johor, Tan Sri Dato Hj. Hassan Yunus. In 1991, the stadium's capacity was doubled following extensive renovations. An athletics track, floodlight masts and media infrastructure were added to allow the ground to host major events. The stadium was also used for the FIFA U-20 World Cup and Sukma Games.

Training facilities and infrastructure

Dato' Suleiman Mohd Noor Indoor Training Centre (Johor Bahru, Johor)

Padang Sri Gelam is the training facility for Johor Darul Ta'zim, located at Johor Bahru, Johor. Besides the indoor synthetic field measuring 16 x 109.2 metres, the building comes with the gym equipment, a swimming pool, and ice baths. The project is in line with the vision of Tunku Ismail, who wants international-level training equipment for the players and to help those who are injured to recover faster.

After its design plans were approved on 24 December 2014, the groundbreaking ceremony of the all-weather training arena was held on 1 January 2015, attended by Tunku Aminah.

The development of the RM15 million indoor facility was sponsored by Iskandar Waterfront Holdings (IWH) under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme. The 0.8ha indoor facility were designed and built according to the requirements and specifications set by FIFA, the world's football governing body.

After its completion, it was named the Dato Suleiman Mohd Noor Indoor Training Centre as a special recognition and appreciation for his contribution as the "Father of Johorean Football" on 23 February 2016. It was officially opened on 21 April 2016.

Youth development

To demonstrate his ideas and commitment to youth development in the state, Tunku Ismail has entered into partnerships and built ties with various football individuals all over the world. To date, JDT has developed strategic partnership and collaborations with Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo (Japan), and Valencia (Spain). Besides signing new young players for development, the club has been organising competitive tournaments across all age groups in the districts of Johor.

In mid-January 2017, the club revealed that they have signed a three-year coaching and player development partnership with Valencia. The partnership was introduced to oversee the implementation of a long-term player development plan for JDT. This plan is based on Valencia Academy's methodologies and development philosophies, adapted to JDT's needs and context.

As of December 2015, the club is in the process of building a brand new youth academy with up to 15 football pitches and modern facilities, designed in collaboration with Borussia Dortmund, who have entered into a partnership with JDT. The development of the 40-hectare academy in Kulai will be focusing to develop local youth talents from the grassroots level and promote JDT's regional presence.

As part of JDT's Youth Development Plan, the club has announced its plan to build a pre-season training facility in Spain on 21 June 2016. The facility will be used to accommodate JDT's young players for pre-season training, as well as for lodging of youth JDT players who will be on playing stints in Spain.

A delegation of JDT's officials has been sent to Spain to scout for prospective sites for the development of this facility. The site will either be in the region of Valencia or Barcelona.

JDT Sports City

In January 2016, as part of Tunku Ismail's strategic plan to develop the state's football and other programmes, the club announced the development of JDT Sports City. The Johor state government had provided a 70-acre (28.3 hectares) plot of land for the project in Iskandar Puteri, Johor. Under its blueprint, the sports complex will house a new stadium and other sporting facilities such as a hotel, apartments, and a shopping mall.

Players

Current squad

As of 20 August 2026

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Development squads

As part of the club's acquisition and subsequent rebranding in 2012, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, the Johor Football Association's President, took the decision to rename all the club's teams using the same nomenclature. In addition, Roman numerals were used to denote each team's hierarchy in the club.

In early 2014, the Football Association of Malaysia approved Johor FA's application and officially registered all the club's teams to Johor Darul Ta'zim.

JDT II (reserve squad)

JDT III (under-21 squad)

JDT IV (under-19 squad)

Honours

Doubles and Trebles

Doubles

Malaysia Super League and Malaysia Cup: 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024–25, 2025–26

Malaysia Super League and Malaysia FA Cup: 2016, 2022, 2023, 2024–25, 2025–26

Malaysia Super League and AFC Cup: 2015

Trebles

Malaysia Super League, Malaysia Cup and Malaysia FA Cup: 2022, 2023, 2024–25, 2025–26

Notes

Season-by-season records

Domestic record

First place or winners

Second place or runners-up

Promoted

Relegated

Continental record

Asian Club Championship

1996–97: Second round

AFC Champions League

2015: Preliminary round 2

2016: Preliminary round 2

2017: Play-off round

2018: Preliminary round 2

2019: Group stage

2020: Withdrew

2021: Group stage

2022: Round of 16

2023–24: Group stage

AFC Champions League Elite

2024–25: Round of 16

2025–26: Quarter-final

AFC Cup

2009: Group stage

2015: Winners

2016: Semi-final

2017: ASEAN Zonal Semi-final

2018: Group stage

All results list Johor's goal tally first.

Management and coaching staff

Source: Team profile at cms.fam.org

List of head coaches

* As interim manager