National football team coach István Urbányi has stated that while supporters may have their demands, the Diamond Jubilee tournament has made it evident that there are currently very few fans interested in Maldivian football.

The Diamond Jubilee tournament ended on a bitter note for the Maldives. The national team entered last night's match already eliminated from the tournament after losing its first two matches—falling 1-0 to Afghanistan and 3-0 to Pakistan. Last night's match against the Bangladesh Under-23 team ended in a 1-1 draw.

Alongside these historically poor results, the number of Maldivian supporters in the stadium dwindled with each passing match. Prior to the tournament, Urbányi had noted that regaining the trust of the fans was essential and that this competition would be crucial for that purpose. However, during last night's match, Bangladeshi supporters noticeably outnumbered Maldivian fans. During a commotion toward the end of the game, Bangladeshi supporters even invaded the pitch and confronted Maldivian players.

"I have spent the last 40 years observing activities both on and off the pitch," Urbányi said. "One specific thing I have noticed here is that there are very few supporters left in our football. I do not see those supporters anymore. In reality, those who usually go to watch league matches and national team matches are just friends and family. This raises the question of why it is happening. I think the interest is just not there."

Following his remarks, Urbányi noted that one of the objectives of the inter-atoll football tournaments currently being conducted by the newly appointed Executive Committee (ExCo) is to re-engage and win back the supporters.

"We are planning to play over a hundred matches across different regions of the Maldives with these regional tournaments," Urbányi highlighted. "I attended some of these matches and some of the youth age-group tournaments as well. Those are still just tournaments. The real work has only just begun, so we must continue moving forward with it."

Urbányi, who previously highlighted the extensive development efforts being made by neighboring countries in the region, concluded by stating that a massive amount of work remains to be done both on and off the pitch to successfully revive Maldivian football.