The Lion City Sailors are pleased to announce that head coach Aleksandar Ranković has signed a two-year contract extension, underscoring the club’s commitment to continuity and building on the strong foundation laid during a historic 2024/25 season.
Since taking the reins in June 2023, the Serbian tactician has guided the Sailors to four trophies — including a domestic treble last season comprising the Singapore Premier League (SPL) title, Singapore Cup, and Community Shield.
Ranko — who previously held coaching roles at Dutch Eredivisie sides Vitesse Arnhem, Sparta Rotterdam, ADO Den Haag, and FC Utrecht — also lifted the Singapore Cup in 2023, just six months into his tenure with the club.
This past campaign, he led the club on a memorable run in the inaugural Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Two, where the Sailors became the first Singaporean side to reach the final of a major Asian club competition. Although the team narrowly fell 2-1 to UAE’s Sharjah FC, the campaign firmly cemented the Sailors’ reputation on the continental stage.
“Coach Aleks’ experience, leadership and ability to bring out the best from our squad have been crucial, and the results speak for themselves,” said Sailors Executive Director Bruce Liang.
“His continued leadership will build on the foundation we have laid to sustain excellence at our club.”
Ranko’s continued leadership will be vital as the Sailors gear up for a massive 2025/26 season, with the club once again battling on multiple fronts — including representing Singapore in both the ACL Two and the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup.
“It’s an honour to continue this journey with the Lion City Sailors. The trust from the management, the players, and the fans means a huge deal to me. What we’ve achieved last season was extraordinary and will be difficult to replicate, but we relish this challenge,” said the 46-year-old, who has a record of 50 wins and 12 draws in 79 matches in charge.
“We’re in the midst of assembling a strong squad for the season ahead, and we’re determined to write new chapters in the club’s history.”
