From Istanbul to the boardroom

Luis Garcia has always had a knack for being at the centre of something extraordinary. The ghost goal at Anfield in 2005. The full 120 minutes in Istanbul. Now, nearly two decades on from that famous Champions League final, the little Spaniard is at the heart of another record-breaking story, just one that is unfolding in the rather different surroundings of Malaysian football.

Garcia, 48, is the chief executive of Johor Darul Ta'zim, and the club he is helping to run are currently on a world record unbeaten run of 113 league matches. It is a number so outrageous it sounds like a typo, yet here we are. He stepped into the role in March 2025 after a period doing ambassadorial work for Liverpool and Barcelona and punditry for ESPN and beIN Sports, and by his own admission, the move came quickly once it happened.

What Garcia says about his new role

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Garcia was candid about how the opportunity came about. "[The role] sort of came out of nowhere," he said. "After playing, I had done ambassadorial work for Liverpool and Barcelona, and been working for ESPN. But I always wanted to look into the business side of football. I had been in meetings and was interested in that side of the game. I flew to Malaysia to meet with His Royal Highness and then it was very quick."

He spoke with genuine enthusiasm about the vision he encountered: "From that opportunity, I understood his vision, the work he is behind, the journey they have been through since 2012 and what he wants to achieve with Johor Darul Ta'zim. The amount of work, commitment and determination to make Johor Darul Ta'zim the biggest club in south-east Asia is incredible. You can see it straight away, winning the league 12 times in a row, reaching the Asian Champions League quarter-final last year. We are like a European club based in Malaysia, the mentality is exactly the same."

The former Spain international also highlighted the Spanish coaching influence running through the club's academy: "The academy is run by coaches made in Spain. It has been perfect for me, I am extremely happy and grateful and looking forward to where we can take the club in the future."

The numbers are simply staggering

With Garcia in the chief executive's chair and former Watford manager Xisco Munoz leading the side on the pitch, Johor Darul Ta'zim are operating at a level that bears repeating. Last season they scored 117 goals in 24 Malaysia Super League matches, conceding just 10, and losing not one single fixture. This season they have already opened up a three-point lead at the summit and are yet to ship a goal in their first five matches.

For those who might quietly wonder whether this is a record built against modest opposition, it is worth noting that Garcia's stated ambition is to compete with Saudi clubs in the Asian Champions League, and the Malaysian champions held Chelsea to a draw in pre-season, which is at least a data point worth filing away. Garcia's task, as he frames it, is to grow the game in the region whilst building a club capable of making serious noise at continental level.

A Liverpool legend finding his feet in a new world

What makes this story genuinely compelling for Liverpool supporters is not just the nostalgia it stirs, though it stirs plenty, but the trajectory it reveals. Garcia retired from playing in 2016 after a 19-year career that took him through Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Panathinaikos and, most memorably, Anfield. He spent years building his profile in media and ambassadorial work, and it is clear that time was never wasted. He was learning, listening, and waiting for the right moment to step into a leadership role.

Whether Johor Darul Ta'zim can sustain this run and challenge the elite clubs in Asian football remains to be seen, but the early signs under Garcia's stewardship are hard to argue with. When your CEO once scored the goal that sent you to a European Cup final, you are probably in decent hands.