كتب : Mohamed Sabe
Malaysia has no diplomatic ties with Israel and its nationals, which means that head coach Avram Grant and defender Tal Ben Haim might not be allowed into the country.
Chelsea had announced on Thursday their plans for a mini-Asian tour that includes in China on July 23rd and Malaysia on July 29th, 2008.
The Malaysian Football Association (MFA) said that the entry of Grant and Ben Haim will be pending approval from the Foreign Ministry, yet Chelsea's chief executive Peter Kenyon seems positive the pair will be allowed into the country.
"We really do not anticipate that to be a problem. We think it can be solved," Kenyon said.
"There are precedents and we do not anticipate any problems so we will continue the dialogue with the Malaysian Government, through our representatives, and they have been very welcoming and helpful thus far," he added.
Malaysia has on one sporting occasion allowed Israeli citizens to enter the country, which was during the 1997 ICC Trophy cricket tournament, but their participation sparked numerous demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur.
Nevertheless, Kenyon made it clear that if the Grant and Ben Haim were denied entry that Chelsea would have to abandon the visit.