When Kim Pan-Gon took over at the helm of Selangor back in January, he would not have been completely unfamiliar with the club.
In fact, from the South Korean's previous two-and-a-half-year stint in charge of Malaysia, he would have been aware that Selangor remain one of the country's biggest football teams -- but also how they have now gone over a decade without tasting major success.
Kim now has the Red Giants just 180 minutes away from ending their title drought. Curiously, it may actually come on the regional front rather than the domestic stage.
In their tournament debut, Selangor have exceeded all expectations to reach the final of this season's ASEAN Club Championship -- officially known as the 2025-26 Shopee Cup.
After a resounding 4-1 aggregate triumph over Thép Xanh Nam Định in the semifinals, Selangor are now preparing to take on defending champions Buriram United in the decider -- starting with Wednesday's first leg at home in Petaling Jaya.
The challenge lying ahead of them is undeniable given Buriram's progress to the final had come at the expense of Johor Darul Ta'zim, Selangor's compatriots who have won the past 12 Malaysia Super League titles -- and by some distance, in recent years.'
Yet, it is a task that Kim is relishing -- given the potential reward is one of the reasons he even returned to Malaysian football in the first place.
"Yes, definitely," he replied, when asked if returning the 33-time Malaysia Cup champions to their glory days was one of his motivations.
"The club has struggled over the last ten years, so the opportunity to help achieve something meaningful here was a big motivation for me.
"Selangor are one of the most historic clubs in Malaysia and I saw huge potential in the team. During my time with the national team, I often came here and believed this club could become very strong.
"Malaysia [has] a very good [footballing] environment, the people are supportive and the players are hardworking and eager to improve. That was one of the main reasons I wanted to come here.
"Winning this title would be great not only for Selangor but also for Malaysian football. Southeast Asian clubs are often seen as underdogs, but reaching the final is already something to be proud of.
"We want to show that Malaysian football can compete strongly, dominate games and challenge the best teams in the region.
"We are very proud to represent Selangor, and also Malaysian football, in the final. It is very exciting and we cannot wait for tomorrow's game."
Although reaching the ASEAN Club Championship final is already an achievement, going all the way may be the only way to salvage what has been a tumultuous campaign for the Red Giants -- which saw Katsuhito Kinoshi sacked just five league games into the season and replaced by Christophe Gamel on an interim basis before Kim's arrival.
After successive runners-up finishes in the last two MSL campaigns, Selangor had to settle for third place this term -- behind JDT and upstarts Kuching City -- while both their Malaysia Cup and FA Cup runs ended in the semifinals.
"I do not need to say too much because the players are already highly motivated," Kim explained. "In fact, I need to make sure they stay calm and focused.
"We must follow the game plan carefully and, step by step, try to achieve our target tomorrow.
"Apart from not finishing second in the league, I am very happy with the process and the development of the team's identity.
"We are becoming a balanced side that is strong in attack and defence. We want our home stadium to become a fortress where every team struggles when they come here.
"I am also very happy with the support from the fans, the club and the players. The players are passionate, professional and improving every day."
While Selangor will enter the final as underdogs, they boast a real weapon in Brazilian striker Chrigor -- in more ways than one.
Having scored just once in the group stage, Chrigor scored all four of Selangor's goals over the two legs against Nam Định to almost singlehandedly drag his side into the final.
Coincidentally, the 25-year-old's only goal before the semifinals came in their campaign opener against Buriram, who he played for in the first half of last season before being sent out on loan.
Kim revealed that he had not asked Chrigor for any special insight into Buriram, but that he had noticed extra motivation in his spearhead ahead of another reunion with his former employers.
With a second leg awaiting them at the daunting Chang Arena in Buriram in a week's time, Kim is aware they will need to use their home advantage first up to put themselves in a decent position -- just like they did against Nam Định.
"Tomorrow, we need to stay focused, concentrated and solid throughout the match," he added.
"As always, we analyse the opponent to find their weak points. But more importantly, we focus on our own game model and maximising our players' potential.
"In these important games, reducing mistakes is very important. At the same time, we must force the opponent into making mistakes.
"Hopefully we can produce another strong performance like we did in the semi-final and take an advantage into the away leg."