Bernhardt, who was appointed by FAM as Under-22 coach in 2015, said he found out about his termination through the media and wanted to meet FAM for further explanation as soon as possible.

“It’s correct, I heard that from the media. Personally, I’ve no information yet from FAM regarding this matter. I believe we will discuss this matter further to clear some of the statement.

“This (termination) can happen when someone is appointed as the new president. When new people take over, they want to change or make a change and yes, it can happen. This is a situation I have to deal with,” he told reporters upon arrival from Dubai at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) with the Under-22 squad.

Commenting on the appropriateness of FAM announcing his termination while he and the team were abroad, Bernhardt said, “The date of announcement may not be the right time but we cannot change anything.”

He added that as a coach, he had the responsibility to finish up his job but he would abide by the decision.

“I don’t know that my philosophy is different from him because we (he and Tunku Ismail) never spoke to each other. At the moment, I can’t give any comment on the contract,” he said.

Tunku Ismail, who took over as FAM president, has appointed Mario Gomez as the new chief coach for the Harimau Malaysia national football squad, replacing Ong Kim Swee.

Kim Swee has been entrusted with the task of coaching the national Under-22 squad.