Month: February 2022
Buriram the setting for Sailors’ ACL debut
The Lion City Sailors’ first steps in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) will be taken in Buriram, Thailand.
Earlier today, the AFC confirmed the host nations for the (East) group stage matches of the 2022 edition of the competition, which will be held from 15 April to 1 May.
The Sailors have been drawn in Group F, alongside China’s Shandong Taishan, two-time ACL winners, Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan, and the winners of the playoff stage fixture between South Korea’s Daegu FC and Buriram United.
Buriram United play their home matches at the Chang Arena in Buriram, a province some 400km northeast of the Thai capital of Bangkok.
Bangkok is the host city for the ACL’s Group G, a group that will feature Australia’s Melbourne City, Thailand’s BG Pathum United, Korean FA Cup winners Jeonnam Dragons and the Philippines’ United City FC. Group J will also be hosted in Thailand.
Group H, will be hosted in the Vietnamese capital of Ho Chi Minh, while Group I will be hosted in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
In From the Bridge, we step away from celebrating the anniversary of the founding of the Lion City Sailors to glance in the rear view mirror, to see how far the club has come in the previous year, before turning our eyes to the path ahead.
In this piece, Sailors’ Academy General Manager, Tan Li Yu, and Director, Luka Lalić discuss the challenging early years of the Academy, and a 2022 that promises much excitement.
In the last 20 months or so since its June 2020 launch, the Lion City Sailors Football Academy (LCSFA) has faced several challenges. It has had to operate against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, with restricted training and less than ideal facilities. But the Academy has found a way to navigate through these choppy waters, even thrive.
“When we went to Europe last year, the response I got from the European teams was ‘how do these guys play this way if they didn’t play 11-a-side football for two years?’,” said Luka Lalić, Academy Director. “It was an almost impossible task, but I think we’ve done pretty well with the limitations that we’ve had to contend with.”
In the last quarter of 2021, the Academy had a six-week training camp in Germany and the Netherlands, where its Elite Under-14 team got the opportunity to play against quality opponents like Borussia Dortmund (BVB) and FC Cologne – proving to be competitive with several of these teams – while the coaches enjoyed access and learned from some of the very best in the business.
That was just one highlight in a hectic 20 months that saw much growth.
Within just three months of setting up, the Academy received a one-star rating from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) – a rating system that grades the efficacy of academies – with three stars being the highest rating possible – the first in Singapore to achieve the feat.
The Academy’s Elite Development Program – a S$1 million scholarship programme – is in full swing, with two batches of youth players (those born in 2007 and 2008, and also in 2009 and 2010 respectively) benefitting from having training and other costs covered. Specialist staff including nutritionists, sports psychologists and data analysts have also been brought in to complement a setup filled with qualified, experienced coaches.
“It’s always about having the best players, best coaches and best facilities – and we’re close to getting there. It’s been so far so good with this first phase, but the critical period is probably the next phase when we reach the third year of the Academy going fully operational,” added Luka.
Academy General Manager, Tan Li Yu, divided the challenges they had into three main categories – infrastructure, with the Academy needing to cope with the reconstruction of the Mattar Road facility while continuing with training and development efforts.
Secondly, training in a pandemic-enforced constrained environment, with the Academy unable to train in the 11-a-side format and youth tournaments halted for the past couple of years.
Li Yu’s third point is the small talent pool in a country like Singapore and the challenges that come with trying to increase that base, something Li Yu believes is vitally important.
But there remains much to be excited about, with Li Yu already looking enthusiastically to the future.
“We’re very excited to be now looking forward to the completion of construction at Mattar and having proper facilities for both players and coaches. Right around you, there’s the changing room, locker room, gym, study room, briefing room, video analysis room… all these things which we’re missing right now. From a professional, comfort and functional perspective, that’ll be a crazy upgrade,” he said, of the Mattar Road training centre poised to be operational in the second half of 2022.
“And since the restrictions are probably not going to be changed much in Singapore, we’re going to look elsewhere (to play and train 11 vs 11) – especially for those boys who we brought them to an incremental level during the Europe trip, we simply cannot let them step a level down,” added Li Yu.
“In March, we’ll hopefully have a trip to Malaysia – we want to go there regularly, if possible. In June, we’re going to Spain, Netherlands and Germany. For September and December, let’s see… We want to keep training and competing at a high level.”
Luka is already eyeing additional software, to groom the cream of the Sailors crop that is poised to expand in 2022.
“We still lack three to five key staff… We’re carefully selecting people we want to bring on board,” he said. “And we’re targeting to have the third batch of scholars (those born in 2011 and 2012) pushed out so that all our youth teams (U13, U15 and U17) in the development phase are under the program and fully committed to training four to six times a week.
“With that and the completed facility, we can probably say that from July onwards, we will be 90 percent through our transition phase.”
Overseas exposure for players and staff – training camps or even experiential stints for individuals at top European clubs – is a key area the Academy will continue to emphasise in 2022, with Luka envisioning expanding partnerships to include four different European countries.
The club already has ongoing collaborations with BVB and Feyenoord – a three-year partnership that was announced yesterday, on the sidelines of the Sailors celebrations of the second anniversary of the club’s founding.
“We need to send our kids aged between 12 and 16 abroad as much as possible, to see how players in top academies play, how they behave, and what they do, so we have first-hand experience of the benchmark we need to aim for and exactly how to close that gap,” said the former Feyenoord Head of Methodology, International Development Coach.
“Also it’s important for our coaches to learn from their counterparts in these academies so that we gain a deeper understanding of how to develop our kids in Singapore.”
Li Yu agreed wholeheartedly.
“No matter how good a coach you are in Singapore, you’d likely have never seen what the best in the world between 10 to 12 years old can do. Until you’re there (in Europe) and can see for yourself, you’ll never have any benchmark to gauge the kids that you’re in charge of.
“Our coaches who went for the Europe trip saw first-hand what an elite 12-year-old player can do, and they now realise that is what our 12-year-olds need to aspire to.”
Both Luka and Li Yu are conscious of the fact that there are challenges that still lie ahead. They accept that shifting mindsets and changing the local culture will not be an overnight or linear process, but they have witnessed very positive improvements.
“When we just started, of course parents needed a lot of convincing and they wondered if we’re really willing to commit to developing their kids or if we were just paying lip service. But with this Europe trip, even for those who didn’t get to go for the trip, they now know the Academy is extremely serious,” said Li Yu, pointing to the six-figure sum the Sailors forked out to push through with the trip to Europe.
“They know we are serious when we say we’re investing in their child. They know they can look forward to something if they get the scholarship,” he added.
“Now the conversation has changed… We no longer need to convince people of what we’re setting out to do because we’re demonstrating that with our actions, by investing in a group of 13 and 14-year-olds.
“We can say: if you trust us with your kids, we can guarantee we’ll do our best for them because we know what we are doing and we are fully committed to the cause.”
The Lion City Sailors and 15-time Dutch champions Feyenoord Rotterdam have forged a three-year partnership focused on youth development and education. The commitment will see a series of youth development programmes, coaching, educational and professional exchanges as well as football training camps in the Netherlands, with Sailors supporting Feyenoord’s brand exposure in Singapore.
The partnership marks celebrations of the Sailors’ second anniversary following the club’s founding on 14 February, 2020.
The Sailors, the defending champions of the Singapore Premier League (SPL), will leverage the expertise of the Dutch giants and its acclaimed youth academy – that has won the Rinus Michels award for best academy in the Netherlands five times since 2009 – with the partnership also opening doors to individual training stints for top Sailors Academy footballers.
“Through this collaboration, we will contribute to the development of football in Singapore and the region,” said Feyenoord’s Manager of International Relations, Gido Vader. “The first team of Lion City Sailors are the reigning champions of Singapore and the club aims to become one of the best youth academies in Southeast Asia. We are delighted to be able to partner with Singapore’s most promising youth academy.”
Vader is delighted with the prospect of leveraging the Sailors’ presence in the global business hub of Singapore, and the opportunity of paving a path for young footballers in the region to Feyenoord.
He said: “Besides allowing us access to a very interesting commercial market, this partnership also enables Feyenoord to track the most talented players in the region. The Sailors’ Under-14 team visited the Feyenoord Academy in 2021. During this stay, their players and coaches have shown great development in a short period of time.
“We hope to welcome the players and staff of Lion City Sailors more often in Rotterdam now that there are more opportunities to travel.”
Sailors Chief Executive, Chew Chun-Liang, was elated with the multi-year partnership that he believes underscores the club’s drive towards excellence as the Sailors celebrate the club’s second anniversary.
“I can think of no better way for the Sailors to celebrate our second anniversary than with a partnership with a giant of the football world like Feyenoord,” he said.
“At this time of celebration, we’ve stopped to reflect on our vision and to redouble our efforts to become one of Asia’s top clubs and an elite hub of youth development – and this partnership with Feyenoord will be tremendously helpful in empowering us to get to where we want to be.”
This partnership was already in the making from 2021, with the Sailors’ Under-14 team visiting the Feyenoord Academy in November. During the two-week stay in Rotterdam, the Sailors’ players and staff enjoyed training sessions, friendly matches and team-building activities, as they got first-hand experience of European football standards and Dutch football infrastructure.
“Our boys had a chance to play against some very strong opposition, with the match against Feyenoord one of the highlights of our trip,” said Luka Lalić, Sailors’ Academy Director and former International Development coach at Feyenoord.
“It was a fantastic learning experience for all of us in Rotterdam, and we are looking forward to just how much more we can do in partnership with Feyenoord in the years ahead.”
The Feyenoord deal is the second such partnership the Sailors have forged, with eight-time German champions Borussia Dortmund (BVB) signing a similar agreement in July last year. The BVB partnership has already witnessed staff exchanges, workshops, community initiatives in various Singapore neighbourhoods, and provided the platform for the Sailors’ Academy’s 42-day training trip in Europe last year.
Join The Crew!
In From the Bridge, we step away from celebrating the founding of the Lion City Sailors to glance in the rear view mirror to see where we have come in the previous year, before turning our eyes to the horizon on the path ahead.
In the opening piece of the series, Sailors Chief Executive Chew Chun-Liang pens his thoughts as he reflects on victory in the Singapore Premier League in 2021, and the good work that continues behind the scenes as the club drives towards its lofty vision.
Today the Lion City Sailors celebrate the second anniversary of the founding of our club, and it brings me great pride to say that we celebrate as champions of the Singapore Premier League (SPL), and Singapore’s representatives in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) when the tournament kicks off in April this year.
Over the last two years, we have set essential blocks in place, have started to build upon that, even growing local capabilities, and are in the process of stitching all these elements together more effectively as we look towards achieving our vision of becoming one of Asia’s best.
And there has been much to celebrate.
On-field success is an important facet of the platform for our growth, and credit must be given to Head Coach Kim Do-hoon and the team, for not only getting us across the finish line, but for playing attractive football and perhaps more importantly, for the desire and gumption that the team displayed time and again as we battled on the pitch – they truly demonstrated what the Sailors stand for.
This was perhaps best illustrated in the last four games of 2021.
The team conceded a late goal to draw 1-1 with our closest title rivals Albirex Niigata (S), in September but I remember it like it was yesterday, largely because it felt like we lost more than two points in the dying minutes of that game – it felt like we had lost our chance to win the SPL.
That day, I told the team that while things were no longer in our hands, it was not over, and we should still be proud of ourselves if we go on to win the final three games of the season. And I must admit I was blown away by how Coach Kim and the boys rallied around each other and battled to three sensational wins for us to be crowned champions of Singapore for the first time. They demonstrated character and a never-say-die spirit and fought to the end – those three weeks or so gave me my best memories of 2021.
And that is saying something – as a club, the Sailors grew a lot in the year.
We started putting essential blocks in place in 2020, and we continued on a similar upward trajectory, and have started growing local capabilities in 2021.
This is witnessed in our specialist teams – the technical team, sports science, sports medicine and performance analysis – on the administrative side of the club from operations to fan and community engagement, and even in terms of forming key partnerships that can help us drive exponential growth in club capabilities and our youth development pathways.
Most of this work took place away from the public eye, but they all contributed to the success of the club, both on and off the pitch and have set a strong foundation for the club to achieve sustained success into the future.
For example, our performance analysts not only study patterns that arise in our opposition to help our technical team formulate tactics, they also leverage data to help the technical team search for new signings who can help the club get to the next level. Our sports science and medical teams also similarly contribute quietly, but importantly, to our on-field success.
Off the pitch, the Sailors signed a partnership with German giants Borussia Dortmund in July last year, and within some four months sent a 40-member delegation to Europe. It was a two-pronged trip: knowledge-sharing for our specialist and administrative teams, and training for our Elite Under-14 academy squad. The academy team spent some six weeks in Europe, managing to play 11-a-side matches – something we were unable to due to pandemic measures in Singapore – and even demonstrated that our boys can be competitive against some of Europe’s best.
There have been improvements on the fan-engagement and community-engagement fronts, and while these are still works in progress, we are moving towards bringing more value to Sailors’ fan club members – The Crew – deepening engagement on social media and our website, while also expanding our lifestyle offerings.
Our fans and the communities we live and work in remain at the heart of everything we do, and while Coach Kim and the team continue to excite and entertain you on the pitch, the Sailors will continue to do our part in communities, like we did – alongside our BVB friends – with MacPherson’s Grant a Wish initiative last year.
We will be able to dive even deeper into our communities soon, because of another bright spark of 2021 – the start of construction work on our Mattar Road training centre.
We are poised to operationalise the centre in the middle of 2022, and I am personally excited about kicking off programmes with our partners in Singapore’s sporting fraternity as well as our friends in the Mattar community, not to mention the massive boost the facility will provide us on the football front – both for the first team and the youth development pathways that we will be able to refine and grow.
With all hands on deck, the year ahead promises much for the club, and what we can do with our partners, our friends in the community, and you, our fans. Our commitment remains the same – we will continue to drive excellence and professionalism within the club, while contributing to the Singapore football fraternity.
I look forward to welcoming you to the Jalan Besar Stadium in the year ahead, and also to the various initiatives we will roll out in 2022.
Happy Birthday, Sailors!
Chun-Liang
Come sail with us!
The Lion City Sailors fan club was established last year with one mission, to unite all our supporters as one team – The Crew – behind the team. And we are looking for a spirited Crew to come aboard before we embark on our voyage into the 2022 domestic season and the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL).
Memberships
The Crew will serve as a gateway for the Sailors to show our appreciation for your support, engage with as many of you as possible, and even give you a share in our spoils with exclusive Sailors rewards – starting with the Crew Pack that every 2022 member will receive.
We are grateful for the heartening support we felt from the stands in 2021, and to show our appreciation for the pioneer members of The Crew, all existing members will receive a free membership for 2022, when we launch memberships on Monday, 14 February.
Thank you for your invaluable support in a year that saw the club winning our first Singapore Premier League title.
Season Pass
Only members of The Crew will be eligible to apply to purchase a 2022 Season Pass – a front row seat for every time the Sailors take to the field at the Jalan Besar Stadium in home games during the domestic season.
Application for Season Passes will open at noon on Wednesday, 16 February.
There will be 14 home games in the SPL, with more coming in the Singapore Cup. And while the Season Pass will be good value, we are still working behind the scenes to provide added value to The Crew, and we will announce partner-discounts and new initiatives when we can.
We hope you will be patient with us as we put these – and other membership processes – in place ahead of the new season.
Come aboard the Sailors 2022 adventure!
Membership and Season Pass details:
Membership: The Crew
– Existing members of The Crew will be given free membership for 2022. This is to thank them for their support and loyalty, and those who qualify will receive an email from the club with instructions to activate their membership
– New signups will commence on Monday,14 Feb, the 2nd anniversary of the club. You – the fan – are at the heart of everything we do, and to celebrate the club, we must celebrate our fans
– Each membership costs $20, and is valid until 31 Dec 2022
– Members will be entitled to purchase 2 tickets for every home game at a 20% discount off regular prices, in priority sales periods before tickets are open to the public
– Members will receive a special fan pack – the Crew Pack – within 14 working days. The Pack comprises the Official The Crew membership card, a scarf, a pin and a mask
– Members will receive 5 x 20% Voucher Codes credited to their Shopee account for use at the Lion City Sailors Football Club Official Store on Shopee. Codes will be credited within 7 working days
– Only members of The Crew will be eligible to apply to purchase a Season Pass for the 2022 season
Season Pass
– A limited (250) number of season passes will be put on sale on Wednesday, 16 Feb at 12 noon (Singapore time)
– Season Passes are valid for all HOME games in the league and Singapore Cup
– Season Pass holders will be entitled to 1 guaranteed match ticket – at no further cost – and 1 ticket purchased at a 20% discount for all HOME games.
– Members will receive an email inviting them to express their interest in purchasing a season ticket
– Successful candidates, decided on a first-come-first-served basis, will then be sent a link for payment
– There are 2 Tiers to the Season Pass – Adult: $80, Concession*: $40
– Season Ticket holders will get priority access to away tickets.
*Concession: students aged 16 and under, seniors aged 55 and above. Applicants for concession Season Passes will have to be members of The Crew to be eligible
Countdown to 2022 season begins
In an exhilarating 2021, the Lion City Sailors were crowned Singapore Premier League (SPL) champions for the first time in October.
A week from today, the Sailors have an opportunity to win the club’s second trophy at the AIA Community Shield, the traditional curtain raiser for the domestic football season.
The Sailors will face closest rivals for the SPL trophy in 2021, Albirex Niigata (S) at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday, 19 Feb, in a standalone fixture that returns for the 14th time after its pandemic-enforced absence in 2021.
Up to 1,000 fully-vaccinated spectators will be allowed into the stadium, under prevailing Safe Management Measures.
This year’s curtain raiser, as with previous editions, will be considered a neutral match, with tickets available for sale– administered via SISTIC Singapore – from 3pm today, 12 Feb on the Football Association of Singapore website.
The 2022 season promises much excitement, with the Sailors poised to make the club’s debut in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL). The club have made slew of new signings in Singapore internationals Izwan Mahbud and M Anumanthan, further strengthening the squad with the acquisition of Brazilian defender Pedro Henrique, Korean international Kim Shin-wook, and Belgian wide-man, Maxime Lestienne.
The 2022 AIA Community Shield will also be broadcast LIVE via Singtel TV and StarHub TV as well as streamed online via the SPL Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Ticketing Details
Adult: S$15
Concession*: S$5
* Children aged between 3 and 12, and senior citizens aged 60 and above
In Sailors Abroad, we take an in depth look at the Sailors’ foreign stints, through the eyes of those who lived through the experience.
In the final piece in this series, Sailors’ Football Academy Director, Luka Lalic, reflects on a challenging trip that presented fantastic development opportunities for a team deprived of competitive 11-a-side football – opportunities that were grabbed with both hands.
The 42-day training trip was no European winter wonderland for the Lion City Sailors Football Academy Under-14 Elite team. Dividing the training camp into three parts – the honeymoon period, the breaking period, and the final culmination of efforts – Academy Director Luka Lalić believes the trip was vital for the team, and one that has “benefited the boys tremendously”.
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a massive impact on the sporting scene, with organised youth leagues halted since early 2020. Aspiring footballers in the country have not played a single 11-a-side game in Singapore since then, and it was no different for Sailors’ Football Academy trainees.
Set against that backdrop, the 42-day Europe training camp in Germany and the Netherlands between November and December 2021 was critical for the development of the squad, designed for the boys to get back into the groove of playing full games and also to benchmark their progress against some of the top youth sides in the world.
As Luka explains, the first week after landing in Germany was “a honeymoon period” focused on getting the team to acclimatise to chilly weather conditions and regaining confidence on the pitch. Courtesy of the partnership between the Sailors and Borussia Dortmund (BVB), the boys got to train in facilities in the BVB football academy and managed to secure a resounding victory against German sixth-tier side Lüner SV in their first match.
The Sailors then travelled to Rotterdam, Netherlands – a three-hour bus ride – where they spent the next couple of weeks training at the Feyenoord Academy and Rotterdam United.
They would pass their first “real test” with a victory over FC Utrecht where they showed the ability to cope “physically, technically and tactically” with the bigger boys, but subsequent defeats against FC Dordrecht and Feyenoord Academy came in a “breaking period” in which the boys knew they had to step up to do more’.
“Against Utrecht, they exceeded our expectations by understanding what was asked of them in a short period of time and lasted at a good intensity for a very long time. But I knew Feyenoord would be a different test altogether and it was indeed a wake-up call,” said Luka, who was a youth coach at Feyenoord from 2016 to 2020 before joining the Sailors.
“We were playing against some of the best players in Holland – they played six national youth team players – and showed us several things that we could improve on. Two years without playing had big consequences on the physical development of our boys, we couldn’t keep up with the pace and intensity. That was the period of uncertainty where the players were questioning how to cope with the strong competition.
“It gave us a benchmark to aim for, we had to be more aggressive, physical and careful not to make tactical mistakes. It got us experimenting on what we could do better and taught us to adapt to a tactical approach that was needed for the demands of the game there.”
The final three weeks of the Europe trip was spent back at the BVB academy as the Sailors clinched impressive victories over BVB and Arminia Bielefeld in “a period of combination where everything that was planned, reviewed and analysed went into application” for the game against FC Cologne. In a display “that was not expected from a Singaporean team,” the boys clinched a creditable draw against a team that was leading the domestic youth league in Germany.
While there were impressive results, the 34-year-old Luka drew the most satisfaction from witnessing his players show development and progress in the Sailors’ playing philosophy.
“At these age-groups, it’s all about learning. I wouldn’t be happy if we won a game but the performance was unacceptable,” explained Luka. “For me, I look at three things. Number one, it’s the mindset and effort – that’s something we need to show in every game.
“Second, it’s how our team understands the system and the principles that were outlined, and how we identify phases of play. Number three, it’s the player’s own understanding and self-expression in games.
“If these three things are covered, then they deserve a pat on the back. If we won but went down to the opponents’ level, that’s still not development.
“I’ve reviewed the match videos and it’s evident that we’ve improved in our speed, intensity and desire in games.”
The happiness extends off the field. The group grew closer together and matured as individuals. Despite being away from their families for the longest time at this young age, Luka was surprised to hear that none of the boys wanted to return home after the six weeks.
“In Singapore, you are only with them two hours a day (in training). The majority of the time, they’re in school where they are required to be quiet. These things translate to everyday life,” he elaborated. “In Germany, you get their true faces… You can see that it was a group of players before we went there and it’s a different group altogether when we came back – that’s really nice to see.
“To be honest, I expected much worse (more issues) so maybe this is a testament to the boys. Of course there is the occasional “I miss home” or “I miss Singapore food”, but no one was close to being seriously homesick, no one cried – nothing of that sort.
“I think they realised when they were there, that they could only rely on themselves and their teammates. Of course the coaching team was always there if they needed help, but we tried not to interfere and let them solve any problems by themselves as far as they could.
“On the last day, I asked them as a joke if there’s a choice to extend for three more weeks, would they be willing to stay? Most of them said they wanted to and that shows how much they enjoyed the trip.”
Beyond the players, coaches and backroom staff also benefited greatly from this trip, as they were attached to counterparts handling similar age-groups from the BVB and Feyenoord academies to learn best practices.
With Singapore continuing to adopt groups of fives as the part of the existing Covid-19 protocol, it is clear that the academy has to look beyond the shores for continual development.
“We’ve got to base our seasons around these international trips,” stressed Luka. “It could be to Southeast Asia, Asia or Europe. It will depend on what is allowed under existing policies – but it will be critical to the development of the boys.”
In Sailors Abroad, we take an in depth look at the Sailors’ foreign stints, through the eyes of those who lived through the experience.
In this piece, Sailors’ Head of Sports Science, Mario Jovanovic, speaks on the benefits of learning from the best in the business, but stresses the importance of a firm commitment to improvement, a spirit that burns bright in the heart of the Sailors.
Last July, the Lion City Sailors’ two-and-a-half year partnership forged with Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund (BVB) brought about the promise of learning from one of European football’s giants.
Some four months into the partnership, the Sailors are already reaping benefits, with several members of the backroom staff embarking on a study trip to Germany at the end of last year.
Part of that entourage was Sailors’ Head of Sport Science Mario Jovanovic, who enjoyed his experience, which included attending the famed “Der Klassiker” – the highly-anticipated clash between Dortmund and Bayern Munich – in the first week of December.
That match was the cherry on top of a productive trip with several learning points.
“Overall, we received really good feedback from all those involved in the study trip to the Dortmund training camp. We were hosted by the youth academy sector, and we were really happy to see the ins-and-outs of a big European club,” explained Mario.
“We had people with different roles on the trip: myself, some from the medical side, colleagues from the performance department, as well as a goalkeeper specialist. One of the aims of such study trips is to see the different types of specialist work, which BVB clearly have.
“We had training sessions to observe, meetings with the respective specialist departments, and an open question and answer session.
“There were many positives,” added Mario, who counts the likes of Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic and AC Milan star Ante Rebic among the players he has worked with in the past.
Although the Sailors’ study team was primarily exposed to the BVB’s academy setup, the lofty standards that were maintained even outside the first team – particularly the level of professionalism – struck a chord with Mario, because it mirrors what the Sailors are striving for.
“Looking at a club like BVB with a history of competing at the highest level for a long, long time, I can’t say that it is easy to replicate what they’ve got – the context is different for us – but there were many valuable lessons from that trip,” he added.
One of the key challenges that Mario and his team will face in 2022, is managing the physical condition of players as they battle on various fronts – the Singapore Premier League (SPL), Singapore Cup and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL – and there was much to learn from the experience of a team like BVB.
“In terms of juggling several competitions throughout the season, which is something BVB are used to, we will encounter that this year and that is going to be another experience for us in terms of managing the load for the players,” said Mario.
“This means respecting the players’ physiology and not just looking to keep them fresh but to raise their levels. Even though we’ll have more competitions this year, I believe we’re going to have even more training sessions compared to last season.
“That’s also something you see with the big clubs throughout the world: professionals need to be taken care of – both from our end, but also by the players themselves.”
Mario’s belief that the players also need to take a personal interest in their own condition ties in with head coach Kim Do-hoon’s larger aspiration of maintaining a premier level of professionalism. He believes this target has been bought into by all on board.
“From what I see from our players, the level of professionalism is growing on all fronts,” said Mario. “We are sending a message that coach Kim is also driving: really emphasising the importance of all aspects outside of the pitch.
“Obviously with limited time with us throughout the day, what the players do by themselves at home has a huge impact. I fully believe the players and everyone around them remain very humble, knowing we have a lot more room to grow and improve together.
“In terms of the direction we’re headed in, I believe the Sailors are in a very good position to expand on our competences and develop further. We’re just starting and the management, along with our chairman, are actually pushing the needle every day,” added Mario, who hails from Croatia.
It is this commitment to continual and improvement that Mario believes is absolutely vital to the success of both the team and the Sailors project as a whole. And he believes the organisation is on the right track.
“There’s no sense of complacency even though we won the title last season and this type of study trip is proof that the club is investing, and that people are working to improve their skills and professionalism that will bring us to another level,” said Mario.
“Our target is to keep moving forward. Whatever we did last season, we need to do better this season. That is the message we’re sending throughout the club every day.”
Lion City Sailors have added UEFA Champions League (UCL) experience to their squad with the signing of 29-year-old Belgian winger Maxime Lestienne. The move comes as Kim Do-hoon’s charges ramp up preparations ahead of the 2022 season that will see the club defend its Singapore Premier League (SPL) title and make its debut in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL).
The 1.77m left-footed wide player joins from Belgian top-tier side Standard Liege on a free transfer, signing a two-year contract. The move was completed ahead of the closure of the European transfer window on 31 January – the SPL window closes on 25 March – with Lestienne expected to arrive in Singapore prior to the opening of the domestic football season on 19 February when the Sailors face Albirex Niigata in the AIA Community Shield.
Lestienne was a part of PSV Eindhoven’s 2015/16 UCL squad that fell at the Round of 16 to eventual finalists, Atletico Madrid. The Dutch giants came out of Group B at the expense of Manchester United, with Lestienne recording two goals and two assists for PSV during that European campaign.
He has a record of 29 appearances and six goals in UEFA’s second tier regional competition, the Europa League, with Standard and fellow Belgian side Club Brugge.
Lestienne is a direct winger blessed with a turn of pace, an eye for a pass, and composure in tight situations. He promises to bring much to the Sailors’ squad with the added ace up his sleeve – the ability to deliver quality balls from set-pieces.
“The Sailors’ vision of building a strong football culture in a country like Singapore is a project that really excites me. The club’s commitment to youth development and improving football capabilities only adds to the allure of its drive for success on the pitch,” said Lestienne, who is part of Belgium’s Golden Generation of players and has been called up to the national team on several occasions, but has yet to receive a senior cap.
Lestienne, a product of the now-defunct Mouscron academy, has been capped at all Belgian youth levels and has proven ability in several leagues across Europe, including in Spain’s LaLiga with Malaga and the Italian Serie A with Genoa.
“I can’t wait to get started with the Sailors, especially as the club competes for the first time in Asia’s Champions League.”
Lestienne’s direct style promises to bring an added dimension to a Sailors attack that has an arsenal stocked with the silky Brazilian Diego Lopes, the aerial prowess of Korean international Kim Shin-wook and the tricky Singaporean trio of Faris Ramli, Gabriel Quak and Hafiz Nor.
Head Coach Kim Do-hoon believes that Lestienne will be the final piece of his Sailors puzzle, as he looks to build on a team that was crowned SPL champions in dramatic fashion on the last day of the season in 2021.
“Maxime will give us added quality in the attacking third with his technical ability, and he will help take us to the next level as we move towards being competitive against the best clubs in Asia at the ACL,” said Kim.
“The team is improving with each training session so far, but there is still a lot of work ahead of us, and with the quality and professionalism that Maxime adds to our dressing room, I’m confident we’ll get there faster,” said the man who masterminded Ulsan Hyundai’s 2020 ACL triumph.
Sailors Chief Executive Chew Chun-Liang believes that with the club’s final foreign player on board, there will be much to look forward to in the 2022 season.
“It is important that we continue to bring in top-quality players like Maxime, Pedro Henrique and Shin-wook to boost our domestic and regional ambitions, while also continuing to deliver excellence and excitement to the Singapore football fraternity,” he said.
“Their presence will rub off on local players as well, serving both as an inspiration and helping raise professional standards at the club.
“We will continue to match such improvements in our off-the-field efforts as well as the Sailors drive towards our vision in what promises to be an exciting 2022.”
