MyTeam (Malaysian TV series)

For information about the professional football club created after season 1 of the TV show, see: UPB-MyTeam FC.

MyTeam is a Malaysian reality TV series which aired on TV3. The idea behind the show was to select a team of soccer players with no professional playing experience known as "MyTeam", have them trained by top coach, and then have them play a match against the Malaysian national football team (which MyTeam lost 2-1). Season 1 of the show aired in 2006. A second season, MyTeam2, aired in 2007 (the team from season 2 played against the Indonesian national football team, losing 2-0). The former Malaysian national team footballer Shebby Singh was the coach of both MyTeam and MyTeam2.

Following the success of season 1 of the show, MyTeam was subsequently invited to join the Malaysian Premier League for the 2007 season. After merging with the existing club Perak UPB FC, MyTeam joined the league under the name UPB-MyTeam FC. The club finished runners-up in the Premier League in 2007, and were thus promoted to the Malaysian Super League for the 2008 season.

The series has also spawned an Indonesian version of the show.

Malaysian politician Khairy Jamaluddin and radio DJ Jason Lo were the creators of the MyTeam concept, and served as the Executive Producers of the show. The idea was to have 22 non-professional players selected from trials held across Malaysia competing against the Malaysian national squad, with the selection and training of the team being track through the show's broadcasts. The show was launched through an event at Kuala Lumpur Planet Hollywood, and was hailed as a football revolution. A massive media campaign was launched to generate interest for trials and the match itself. Former Malaysian national team footballer Shebby Singh was engaged to be the team's coach.

...
Wikipedia