Category: Feature
The Lion City Sailors are gradually settling into life under Risto Vidaković and it is in no small part down to his two trusty lieutenants – Pablo Muñiz from Spain and 39-year-old Bosnian Dževad Šarić – who have joined him onboard at the club.
Alongside Risto, the pair have bedded into life at 8 Mattar Road, pulling the Sailors players, technical and auxiliary teams together for the battles that lie ahead on the upcoming Singapore Premier League (SPL) season.
The 45-year-old Pablo – who holds a UEFA A Coaching License – is the Sailors’ assistant coach and Risto’s right-hand man, key to ensuring the team grows into the new football philosophy laid out for the Sailors’ Class of 2023.
Doubling up as the club’s Head of Video Analytics, Pablo is relishing the opportunity to play a key role in what he believes is an ambitious Sailors project.
“There’s a lot of excitement here because the club is still quite new and wants to achieve big things in the future,” said Pablo.
He played similar dual roles at various clubs: in Thailand with BG Pathum United, Suphanburi FC and Bangkok Glass between 2017 to 2022, as well as for the El Salvador national team from 2015 to 2016.
“I can already sense a good synergy between everyone at the club in these few weeks that I’ve been here and we have a great training centre too – so we have all the right elements here to be a successful club. I just want to play a part in helping the club fulfil our ambitions,” added Pablo, who is working alongside Risto in a club setting for the first time.
“Risto needed some help with information about Southeast Asian teams playing in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL), that’s how we first connected. We clicked well because he also has a Spanish background and understood football in the same way I do, so I was happy to come to the Sailors when he called me,” he added.
Pablo started out as a fitness coach in the youth teams of Sporting de Gijón in the early 2000s, but was inspired by Rui Faria, José Mourinho’s well-known right hand man, to venture into the tactical analysis side of football, and soon went on to head the Tactical Analysis department for the club’s first team in the Spanish second division between 2012 to 2013.
“In football, every aspect is connected – from tactical periodisation to contextual analysis on football moments. When you have the capacity for video analysis, you can really connect with the players on virtually all aspects of the training,” he explained.
“I always say that curiosity is the mother of knowledge. I was hungry to learn and understand the game more to be able to help the head coach, so I took up qualifications to try to be savvier with video analysis tools. That helped me when I went to El Salvador and also afterwards in Thailand.”
In Thailand, Pablo worked with several notable Thai internationals including Teerasil Danga and Sarach Yooyen, as well as the Singaporean duo of Irfan and Ikhsan Fandi. He was assistant to Aurelio Vidmar at BG Pathum for part of the 2021-22 Thai League 1 season and it was that friendship with the former Sailors Head Coach that nudged him to join the Sailors’ journey.
“I obviously spoke to “Viddie” when I got this offer, and he always has very good things to say about his time with the Sailors, so he told me to go for it,” revealed Pablo. “I see some parallels between what the Sailors and BG are trying to achieve, so there was no doubt that I must take this step.”
Dževad was similarly convinced by the Sailors’ long-term vision and blueprint to get here.
He is the Sailors’ new Head Strength & Conditioning (S&C) Coach, tasked to ensure players get in tip-top shape for the season ahead.
Having worked under Risto at Indonesia’s Borneo and Melaka United in Malaysia between 2021 to 2022, Pablo had no hesitation in joining Risto at a third club in Southeast Asia when the Serbian came calling.
“We have so many things in common such as the way we view football and football tactics, so obviously I’m very happy when he called me to join him here and I had just finished my contract with my previous club,” said Dževad, who spent the second half of 2022 back home with FK Tuzla City after leaving Melaka last April.
“I did some research before coming, so I knew there’s good infrastructure and an excellent academy system here. I’m very happy to be here and I hope to help the club improve step by step,” added Dževad, who holds a UEFA Pro License.
The well-travelled Dževad comes with a wealth of experience, having worked across the globe in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
He was technical director at Myanmar’s Shan United between 2014 to 2015. That was followed by spells as assistant coach at Oman’s Al-Nasr SCSC, Angola’s CD 1º de Agosto and China’s Meizhou Hakka between 2016 to 2018, before working as a fitness coach at Egypt’s Ismaily SC in 2021.
Dževad hopes to tap on his regional experience to put in place building blocks for the Sailors to succeed in the coming season.
“I don’t have a lot of demands for our players – I just want them to build good habits and to be responsible for their behaviour. We have many young players at this club, so I’m excited to help them grow,” he said matter-of-factly.
“My main job is to help the head coach develop the team, so everything I do is connected to his ideas. I’m here to help improve the area of team communication and make an impact on the physical aspects of the players.
“So far, I’ve seen a lot of positive things in this team and I strongly believe that we can grow even further.”
Dževad, alongside Pablo and Risto, have all lauded the support they have received from their comrades in the trenches at the Sailors – the technical, auxiliary, and even administrative teams at the club.
Pablo and Sailors Under-21 Head Coach Daan van Oudheusden have joined hands with Head of Individual Training, Rodrigo Costa, to assist Risto with the broad targets of the team, as well as the nuanced requirements of every role across the length of the pitch.
The long-serving Chua Lye Heng supports Kris Stergulc – who comes with experience working with Slovenia’s Under-17s – in the goalkeeping department, while Mike Kerklaan heads the rehabilitation department which comes under the purview of Head of Performance, Mark Onderwater, who oversees the aspects of analytics, S&C, rehab and nutrition.
“We’ve a good structure here and everyone is doing their part to ensure the team goes into the season fully prepared for the challenges ahead. There’s a very good atmosphere within the team now, we’ve some very hungry players here and they’re beginning to understand my game philosophy.
“I can feel this team is really pulling in the same direction and that’s key to us achieving our objectives for 2023,” said Risto.
As the ball hung in the Buriram sky following Maxime Lestienne’s cross, Song Ui-young leaped like a salmon and connected superbly with a looping header that nestled in the back of the net.
That goal back in April 2022 set the Lion City Sailors on their way to a stunning 3-0 win over K-League side Daegu FC in Group F of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL).
With that, Song wrote himself firmly into the club’s history books and it was a moment that he holds dearly in his heart – even as he sealed a move to Thai League 1 side Nongbua Pitchaya on Sunday (15 January).
“That was my first ACL goal and we took the three points against a Korean team – no Singapore team has done it before so it was a very special moment for me. it was definitely one of my best memories with the Sailors,” said the 29-year-old attacker in his farewell interview with the club.
“I had big motivation to play in the ACL because I really wanted to compete against the strongest teams in Asia. I’m very happy and thankful to my teammates and coaches – we did and achieved everything together.
“I was so proud to see our fans coming to Buriram (where the ACL group stage campaign was hosted) to support and cheer for us – they even brought the Singapore flag, and that was a big motivation for us to put in extra effort.”
In his three years with the Sailors, Song was often looked upon as a player who would stand up to be counted when it mattered. And he underlined this by scoring at critical moments, including bagging the opening strike against Balestier Khalsa in a 4-1 win that secured the Sailors their first-ever Singapore Premier League (SPL) title in 2021.
He signs off as the current all-time leading scorer for the Sailors with 32 goals in all competitions, including three in the ACL which makes Song the Singaporean with the most number of goals in the top-tier continental competition.
“I’m just very happy that I helped the team achieve our targets then (two years ago). A Singapore team had not won the SPL title for seven years at that time, and I had also never won a domestic league title before that, so it was an amazing feeling to finally get our hands on the trophy.
“We were very proud to be able to achieve that as a team,” reflected Song.
Song’s unwavering commitment on the pitch stood out in the eyes of local football fans, but it was perhaps his love for Singapore and burning desire to represent the Republic’s Lions that won their hearts.
It took him three attempts to secure permanent residency in 2020, before finally becoming a citizen the following August with strong support from the Sailors management and local authorities.
And he remains eternally grateful.
“That moment I received the Singapore passport, I couldn’t describe my exact feelings but I was very happy because I really feel at home in Singapore after so many years here and I really wanted to play for the Singapore national team,” recalled the Incheon native, who first came to the Lion City at the end of 2011 as an 18-year-old.
“I know behind the scenes, many people helped me in this process so deep in my heart I really appreciate all the help and support. Without everyone, this would not have happened and I won’t be able to achieve this dream.”
Song played a total of 11 seasons – more than one-third of his life – in Singapore and witnessed the transformation of the club from Home United to the wildly ambitious Lion City Sailors.
Even as he departs the club to embark on the next chapter of his career, Song looks back fondly on the opportunity to be involved in the exciting project.
“There have been ups and downs of course, but I’m glad to have grown together with this club – both as a footballer and as a man. There’s obviously a big difference since the club became the Sailors and it’s great what the club has built up so far from the facilities to the personnel.
“As a player, I could really focus on my football here so you can tell there’s a great deal of professionalism in how we do things here,” he said.
Song came to Singapore as a hungry young footballer looking to carve out a career, and now leaves as a man – and an established Singapore international. It is very much a mission accomplished for Song, who said the decision to leave the Sailors was difficult but one that had to be taken.
“Honestly, I’m quite sad to be leaving this club but after competing in the AFC Cup, ACL, winning the SPL and being here for so long, I feel I need to get out of my comfort zone and go abroad to become a better player.” revealed the forward, who will turn 30 this November.
“I cannot just continue being relaxed and being comfortable at where I am right now if I want to develop further. I need to find a new platform to improve, develop and continue to show good performances as a football player.”
It is safe to say the Sailors will always have a special place in Song’s heart, for the friendships and bonds forged over the years and he hinted that the Sailors fans may not have seen the last of him just yet.
“I want to thank all my teammates, coaches and the management for taking really good care of me and making so many good memories together. I also want to tell the fans that I really appreciate all their support over the years.
“One day, I hope I’ll be back to play for them and the club again.”
He is under no illusions about the task that lies ahead in the 2023 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season, but newly-minted Lion City Sailors Head Coach, Risto Vidaković, is confident that his charges will be well-equipped by the time the first ball is kicked – especially when working off the platform the Lion City Sailors Training Centre provides.
Risto and his Sailors’ Class of 2023 assembled at Mattar Road for the first time on Friday (6 January), with the players undergoing a medical screening by Cove Orthopaedic Clinic, before the start of pre-season training proper.
Club Chairman Forrest Li welcomed the team – including staff and Sailors’ Technical Director Luka Lalić – as the team took their first steps towards the 2023 season.
“I’m looking forward to being part of this ambitious project, to build something new and important for the club, but it’s not going to be easy because we have many new components,” said the 54-year-old Serb.
“We’ll have to put in the pieces together and involve everyone to push for the club’s ambitions together. Having good facilities and a conducive environment is very important, because this Training Centre is the base and starting point of everything.
“We have everything here at Mattar, and I’m confident that the players will feel that this is their home and be motivated to come in for work every day – it’s a fantastic platform. ”
Risto’s approach to pre-season training – a bright optimism underlined by a healthy dose of reality – is shared by Luka, who helmed the Sailors first team as its Interim Head Coach from August 2022 to the end of the domestic football season.
“There have been several changes at the club, but there is also a lot of positivity. New people bring a different level of energy and there’s clearly a new optimism and energy here. What we have to do is move forward with this optimistic energy,” said Luka, who was acutely aware that this renewed vigour has already been helpful.
“A club like the Sailors is expected to win titles, but in 2022 we didn’t, and I have to take a lot of the responsibility for what happened over the last four months.
“This season, we have to collectively step up as a team and turn the page. We’re changing how we’re approaching training sessions and matches – we want to fully utilise the facility on what we can do with the team, and we’ll also have more individualised programs to help the players to perform to their maximum potential,” added the 35-year-old.
Hariss Harun and his teammates will undergo focused individualised training programmes – that include technical sessions, strength and conditioning and even injury prevention and recovery – based on the needs of each player, this over and above tactical sessions with the team.
“I know the high expectations here, but we have a good team with many good people so with proper work, we can reach our goals,” said Risto, who is setting his Sailors out to dominate games with possession-based attacking football.
“The key is that in every moment we know what we’re doing, everyone has to know what they’re representing. Players have to know that they’re in a special club and it’s not easy to play for the biggest club in the country because opposing teams will be very motivated to play against us.
“In every game we must give 100 percent – there is no other way.”
Risto’s call for commitment and motivation will be helped by the infusion of youth into the Sailors’ first team.
Said Luka: “Most of our new signings are younger players, and this is because it’s important that a generational shift starts, not just for the club, but also for the bigger picture of football development in Singapore.
“We have recruited players who have demonstrated the most potential, and this is supported by the fact that we will have players from the first batch of our Early Enlistment Program (for National Service (NS)) starting to join the squad.”
Sailors fans have already got an early indication of the potential coming through the club’s Academy, with two youngsters – 17-year-old midfielders, Yasir Nizamudin and Danie Hafiy – providing an assist each when the Sailors fell 7-2 to German giants Borussia Dortmund at the Jalan Besar Stadium in November.
“We’ll have to see how these players can fit into the team and hopefully we can see some of these Under-21s making their senior debuts this year,” added an optimistic Luka.
With all the pieces in place, a buoyant Risto called for all at the club to put in the hard work as they prepare to put on a show for the Sailors’ faithful.
He said: “All projects have ups and downs, and we have to be able to stop and learn to change things along the way. There will be several lessons on the journey and we’re going to work very hard to reach our goals, but we also need patience.
“If we can play the way we want to play, implement the game model that we envision, I will consider it to be a success – but that’s still only a part of what we want to do for this ambitious project.”
Risto Vidaković is relishing the challenge of bringing the Lion City Sailors back to the top of Singapore football as the club looks to accelerate towards its vision of becoming a top Asian club and a hub of youth development on the continent.
“The people here are very professional – the club is taking things very seriously with the construction of the new Training Centre and everyone here is working on the same goal of building something very powerful in the region. I know the club is targeting continuous improvement and optimisation,” he said.
“For me, I see this as a very huge and exciting challenge to come in to make something special at the club.”
And the well-rested Risto is hungry and raring to go.
Ever since he parted ways with Malaysia Super League side Melaka United through mutual consent in April 2022 and called time on an ill-fated stint that lasted just a few months, the 53-year-old Serbian returned to the Spanish capital of Madrid – his home of almost 30 years – to spend more time with his family while continuing to keep up to speed with the game through analysing La Liga matches from his couch.
Photo courtesy of Melaka United
“It was one of the most difficult periods for me in my coaching career because of all the issues there – players are not getting paid and nobody is motivated. In the end we realised the best way is to part ways.
“It wasn’t pleasant, but sometimes it’s good to have this type of negative experience which helps you grow and learn in football. I’ve been travelling around and enjoying time with my wife and son since – things that I couldn’t do before.
“But now I just can’t wait to get started again,” said Risto, who holds a UEFA Pro coaching license.
Risto is no stranger to Singapore football, having followed the Singapore Premier League (SPL) closely since 2016 when his former club Ceres was one of the foreign teams invited to play in the Singapore Cup in that year as well as in the following campaign.
He was also in charge of Ceres when they faced Home United – the previous iteration of the Sailors – in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup ASEAN zonal finals for two straight years – emerging victorious in 2017 then edged out by the Singapore side in 2018.
Photo courtesy of Singapore Premier League
With Ceres having the accolade of being the top-ranked Southeast Asian club in the AFC club rankings in 2019 and 2020, his achievements in Philippines speak for itself: he notably inspired Ceres to claim the scalp of Australia’s A-League side Brisbane Roar in the 2018 AFC Champions League (ACL) second preliminary round, this on top of winning three straight domestic titles there between 2017 to 2019.
“It wasn’t easy because Philippines football was still very much on their way up and it takes quite some effort to get the players to adapt from playing in the domestic level to a much higher level like the AFC,” said Risto with great pride.
In addition, he has experience elsewhere in the region – winning the Maldives’ league undefeated with Maziya in 2021 and managing Borneo in Indonesia.
Risto is also known for his knack for nurturing young players who grow into first-team stalwarts. Earlier in his career, he worked under the legendary Spanish coach Javier Clemente as assistant coach of the Serbia national team where he helped shape players the likes of Nemanja Vidić and Nikola Žigić.
Thereafter he became head coach at lower-division Spanish clubs like Écija, Cádiz, and the Real Betis reserve team – where he developed a number of talents for their first team including Alejandro Pozuelo, who then went on to play in the English Premier League with Swansea City.
It is something which he hopes to continue to do at the Sailors, with a slew of young players set to join the 2023 roster.
“Every club needs a good mix between young and experienced players – I’m happy we have some top foreign players here who have played in top-level leagues in Europe and they will be important to help guide these young players to reach another level in their game.
“Collectively with these ingredients, we can build something important for the future and create a good atmosphere in the dressing room for the players every day.”
Risto will officially start work in January 2023 and will need time to get to know the players better, but there is no doubt that he wants the team to play entertaining attacking football based on ball possession, a style laced with intelligence and solidarity off the ball.
“I like to play offensive football and it’s obvious in all the clubs I’ve worked in before that we’ve played that way. It’s important that the fans enjoy what they’re seeing from the team.
“While I have my philosophy, it’s also key that my players feel comfortable and happy with their positions on the pitch and their roles within the team so I have to adapt as well,” he said.
Risto is adamant that the Sailors should charge ahead with the objective of reclaiming the SPL title and returning to the ACL group stages for a second time.
“Yes, of course it’s not easy to put together a new team with players of different mentalities and habits which they had from other clubs, but that’s the challenge I chose to – and want to – take up. I know the pressure of us being the only privatised club in Singapore and the league is getting more competitive, but it’s on us to live up to it and we have to challenge on all fronts,” said Risto.
“We’ve got all the materials for a successful team and everyone has to pull together in the same direction to make 2023 a memorable year for the club.”
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, Lion City Sailors Football Academy Under-17 Elite squad’s Rae Peh shares his thoughts on the opportunity of training alongside his counterparts at Portugal’s S.C. Braga.
S.C. Braga have built one of Europe’s best emerging youth academies in recent times, churning out the likes of Pedro Neto and Francisco Trincão – who are now recognisable names in the European game.
Four boys from the Lion City Sailors Football Academy Under-17 Elite Squad had the chance of being embedded in Braga’s impressive youth system recently during a 15-day training stint (20 November to 4 December 2022).
Courtesy of a warm long-term relationship between the Sailors and Braga, the quartet – born between 2007 to 2008 – trained alongside their counterparts at the Portuguese outfit.
Singaporean duo – goalkeeper Edgar Leo and midfielder Rae Peh were attached to Braga’s Under-15s, while Australian left-back Anton Jerga and Japanese-Irish offensive midfielder Joshua Little were placed with their U16s.
The four of them are no strangers to being in Europe for football education. Part of the Sailors Under-14 team that travelled to Germany and the Netherlands at the end of 2021 for training camps with the club’s partners Borussia Dortmund (BVB) and Feyenoord Rotterdam respectively, they were also in Spain as recently as this June for something similar with Atletico Madrid.
It is a different experience this time and perhaps a more enriching one as they had to step out of their comfort zone and be put through their paces alongside their counterparts at Braga.
Chilly weather conditions in Europe and training sessions of a higher intensity did not faze the Sailors trainees, but the language barrier proved to be a bit of a bigger challenge.
“Not all Braga coaches speak English, so we sometimes needed help with translations when they explained the drills. It was the same with players so it was quite a challenge initially as we clearly needed to communicate well with them on the pitch and show our ability,” said 14-year-old Rae.
“Fortunately, we were prepared well and made to learn some key Portuguese words like Bom Dia (good morning), Bom Tarde (good afternoon), venha aqui (come here), passe a bola (pass the ball) and obrigado (thank you) which helped us a lot. Over the days, we and the Braga boys got to know each other much better.”
As a central midfielder, Rae gleaned much from Braga’s football philosophy that focuses a lot on ball work and having three central midfielders in their playing system – a consistent system from their Under-13s all the way up to their U21 side.
“I enjoyed the training session a lot and playing with the Braga boys. They’re technically super gifted, each of them knows how to go and where to go during the build-up play, and their awareness of the game is outstanding. Their level is something that I aspire to.”
There were lessons that extend beyond the football pitch as the quartet also learnt a bit more about themselves through a personality test.
“We had a mental performance coach who came in to do an individual test with us. Through this test, each of us got to know more about what makes us tick and what are our weak points.
“I learnt that when I hit my stress point, I tend to do things alone – that’s true and it’s something I will need to cope with and overcome on the football pitch. I’ll have to trust my teammates more to be a better player for the team,” shared Rae.
Being away from the comfort of home and the safety net of parents for a prolonged period, the Sailors trainees also made sure they watched out for each other well over the course of the trip – as well as learnt more about Portugal’s football culture.
Apart from visiting Braga’s iconic Municipal Stadium, they also watched a couple of domestic youth games as well as sightseeing around the city – and came across several kids playing on the streets.
All in all, it was a rewarding trip for the aspiring Sailors trainees to have a first-hand experience of life in a professional academy as they continue to pursue their dreams of being top professionals.
“The biggest lesson was learning to live with uncomfortable situations and learn from them – in our football journey ahead, we’ve to constantly put ourselves in different environments and interact with people from different cultures as they’re necessary to help us grow,” said Rae.
“The coaches kept telling us not to be afraid to ask questions and speak up – that’s important and we’ve to keep enriching ourselves with new knowledge to develop further.”
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, Lion City Sailors Football Academy’s Head of Technical Training Rodrigo Costa reflects on Sailors trainees’ recent training stint at Spain’s Atletico Madrid.
Spanish giants Atletico Madrid have one of the most internationally renowned youth academies, having groomed homegrown talents like Gabi, Fernando Torres and Saúl Ñíguez.
Four boys from the Lion City Sailors Football Academy Under-17 Elite Squad had the privilege of being embedded in the youth setup of the 11-time La Liga champions recently during a 15-day training stint (20 November to 4 December 2022), along with the academy’s Head of Technical Training, Rodrigo Costa, and Technical Coach, Nuno Pereira.
Courtesy of a warm long-term relationship between the Sailors and Atletico, the quartet – born between 2006 to 2008 – trained alongside their counterparts at the Spanish side.
Left back Luth Harith and central midfielder Nigel Binex were attached to Atletico’s Under-15 and Under-16 “A” teams respectively, while attacking midfielder Jonan Tan and forward Qaisy Noranzor were placed with the Under-17s “B” team.
While this is a first trip to Spain for Jonan and Qaisy, Harith and Nigel are no strangers to the Iberian peninsula, having been part of the Sailors U15 team that travelled there for a Europe Training Camp earlier this year. Nigel memorably scored a hat-trick against Atletico Madrid to lead the Sailors to a 3-1 win in the final game on that tour.
This time they are back and are taking the step up to train under the watchful eyes of Atletico academy coaches. Similar to what their peers experienced in Borussia Dortmund, the four boys underwent individual training in their specific positions in the morning before joining their respective teams’ group sessions in the second half of the day.
Observing keenly from the sidelines, it was also a learning experience for the Sailors coaches.
Rodrigo quickly took notice of the electric intensity of the Atletico trainees, but was pleasantly surprised at how the Sailors kept up with other facets of the training.
“The standard of these players in the Atletico academy is obviously very high due to their very well-organised youth programme. Our players understandably struggled in some aspects: the biggest challenges I felt were the level of understanding of the game, which is not as high, and how fast the boys can execute the drills given by Atletico coaches,” shared the 34-year-old.
“But I have to say: technically the boys are actually not far off and they didn’t look out of place at all – this shows that we’ve done some good work with them in our Academy, but there’s more we can do for sure.
“We noticed a few major differences: one is that their individual training focuses a lot more on game-realistic situations instead of focusing on honing general technique. That’s an approach we hope to adopt going forward.”
While it took a couple of days for the quartet to break the ice and acclimatise to both training alongside the Atletico boys and the colder weather, they eventually bedded in well and made new friends along the way.
They were then given the chance to represent Atletico in a squad filled with players from their international program in a friendly against a lower-league Spanish youth side, during which they got to don the iconic red-and-white Atletico jerseys.
“We’re very thankful to the staff who were so welcoming. They were preparing for their own league games over the weekend but were still so accommodating in having visiting players train with them.
“It’s great for us to see how the boys reacted to being in an ultra-competitive environment and that’s necessary for them to grow as football players,” said Rodrigo.
As part of the trip, the Sailors trainees and coaches also got to visit Atletico’s iconic Metropolitano Stadium, watched one of Atletico’s first-team training sessions as well as Atletico’s top-of-the-table clash against Real Madrid in the domestic Under-19 league – a game which ended 0-0.
They also met some of Atletico’s current and former stars like Saúl, Felipe and the iconic Torres – who is now head coach of their U19s.
All in all, it was a real eye-opener for the Sailors to experience European football culture and see first-hand just what Atletico’s rising stars have to go through to make it to the top.
“One thing I saw was how they’re already living a similar life to a professional footballer’s even at the age of 13 to 14. They live in the residence, wake up and have breakfast together, go to training together on a bus and get picked up from school to return to the place at the end of the day.
“In their free time, they will mingle with each other over games like table tennis or Playstation 5. These kids have to get used to being away from their families for a prolonged period to chase their dreams. This made me wonder if we’re able to do something similar for our boys and whether this is something we can adapt to?” pondered Rodrigo.
There is little doubt that the work will continue in Singapore.
“I think the boys saw for themselves what it takes to be a professional footballer overseas – the competition, the things they have to give up and the unwavering commitment to the cause,” said Rodrigo.
“It’s our job in the Academy to help our players find that little bit extra in themselves. We’ll need to increase the level of healthy competitiveness in the team, and we have to help them find a greater desire to succeed that they will even watch and educate themselves more about the game outside of their team training sessions.”
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, Lion City Sailors Football Academy Under-17 Elite squad’s Nathan Mao shares his thoughts on the opportunity of training alongside his counterparts at Feyenoord.
They have been named the Netherlands’ best academy several times, with the likes of Robin Van Persie (RVP), Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Georginio Wijnaldum coming through the system.
The Feyenoord Rotterdam Academy continues to be recognised as one of the best youth football setups in the world. And just last month, some of the Lion City Sailors’ very own rising stars were embedded in the Feyenoord setup that churns out rising talents year after year.
Three boys from the Lion City Sailors Football Academy Under-17 Elite squad recently embarked on a 16-day training stint (29 October to 14 November 2022) at the renowned academy of the 15-time Dutch champions, along with the academy’s Head of Goalkeeping Kris Stergulc and Head Data Analyst He Qixiang.
Courtesy of the three-year partnership – which began in February 2022 – between the Sailors and Feyenoord that focuses on youth development and education, the trio – born between 2007 to 2009 – trained alongside their counterparts at the Dutch outfit.
Japanese midfielder Tyler Kawauchi laced up with the Feyenoord Under-14s, while Singaporean duo – forward Nathan Mao and defender Idzham Eszuan – were placed with the Under-15s and Under-16s respectively.
The three of them had already been in Rotterdam, in November 2021 as part of a 42-day training camp in the Netherlands as well as in Germany, and played against their Feyenoord counterparts then. This time, they are back in Holland in the same training facility and instead trained under the watchful eye of the Dutch coaches.
While training was usually only once a day from 8.30am to 11am in the morning, those were intense sessions with Nathan noting that the biggest difference was ‘the speed of play’ of the Feyenoord boys. As such, he had to learn how to play faster and release the ball quicker in training duels and matches.
The language barrier proved almost equally challenging.
“Even though the coaches will explain the drills in English, the players spoke to each other in Dutch most of the time – so we had to try our best to blend in and strike up a conversation with them.
“Of course it helped for us to learn a few Dutch words and we picked up a few relating to colour to help us with the choosing of bibs in training. The easiest one was ‘Oranje (pronounced as Oh-ran-yeah)’ which obviously is Orange in English.”
Apart from that, the trio settled in well and did not have many other issues. Technically and tactically, they felt they were able to fit in, while the chilly weather – which averaged around 9 degrees Celsius – was something they felt made for perfect training conditions.
With this not being their first time away from Singapore, they are now getting used to being away from Singapore to chase their dreams and there were no bouts of homesickness.
Idzham even had the privilege of training under the legendary RVP, who is now the co-head coach of the Feyenoord Under-16s – someone who he felt was a great educator who has the ability to explain what he wants very clearly to his charges.
Away from the seriousness of training, the boys had ample time to unwind in the second half of each day when the Dutch kids went to school. Staying at the Thon Hotel which is located in the heart of Rotterdam, they could easily access the city’s tram lines, and could not resist the opportunity to explore the city and learn more about the culture.
While they watched a couple of domestic youth games featuring Feyenoord, the highlight of the trip was being amongst some 44,000 fans in a partisan atmosphere at the De Kuip Stadium, watching the Feyenoord first team defeat Lazio 1-0 to qualify for the UEFA Europa League knockout stages.
The benefits of this trip clearly went beyond the boundaries of just football, with the boys learning to take care of one another away from the parental safety net that home provides.
“Tyler has a really bad milk allergy. In one of our last trips abroad, he accidentally ate something with milk and ended up staying a couple of days in the hospital. So this time, we made sure we checked everything he touched or ate so that he wouldn’t fall sick again,” Nathan revealed.
All in all, it was a beneficial trip for the trio who developed a better understanding of the game and made some new friends along the way – they have enjoyed it so much that they are looking forward to returning to Rotterdam should the opportunity arise.
“The people there were really friendly and made sure we felt very welcome, although at the same time we had to prove our abilities and show that we belong alongside them. The coaches also gave us a lot of good feedback on how to improve as a player.
“We’re very grateful that we players in Singapore have the chance to train with these top talents in the Netherlands and have a taste of the level they’re at,” said Nathan.
For now, Nathan and company believe they are on firm footing in the Sailors Academy that provides a similarly high-level of football training.
“In my opinion, the methodology and system we have here is really close to Feyenoord’s. We’re getting as many opportunities to expose ourselves here.
“Obviously there’s a bigger pool of talent in Holland, but we’re getting the best possible opportunity to develop with the quality of the coaching staff and methods we have in our academy.”
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, Lion City Sailors Football Academy Under-17 Elite squad Head Coach Daan van Oudheusden shares his thoughts on Sailors trainees who have a unique opportunity to train alongside their counterparts at Borussia Dortmund.
While December is usually a period of rest and relaxation for children and youths, that is not the case for four boys in the Lion City Sailors Football Academy Under-17 Elite squad as they embarked on a 11-day training stint in Germany at the famed academy of eight-time German champions Borussia Dortmund (BVB).
Led by their head coach Daan van Oudheusden, Singaporean goalkeeper Issac Goh, American attacking midfielder Tad Woolfe, Belgian winger Nils Vandersmissen and Singapore-born Swiss forward Hugo Foelmli has the privilege to train with the very best in Europe.
Courtesy of the ongoing partnership between the Sailors and BVB which focuses on youth development and knowledge sharing, the quartet – all born between 2007 and 2008 – were put through their paces both individually and collectively with their esteemed European counterparts over the course of the trip (24 November-4 December).
Speaking from Dortmund, Coach Daan believes his charges are gleaning much from this opportunity.
“It’s no secret that the standard of football in Europe is much higher than what we have in Singapore, so the key objective of this trip was always to get the players out of their comfort zone and adapt to situations they’ve never experienced before,” said the 30-year-old Dutchman, who used to coach in Willem II and the Dutch Football Federation (KNVB).
“It’s not just the footballing side of things, but on a personal and human level, they have greatly benefited from this as well. They needed to learn to socialise a bit with the boys from Dortmund and that can be challenging, but it’s been great to see they’ve done well in that aspect. They are pretty talkative and have struck up a good bond with the group.”
Varied challenges have come thick and fast for the Sailors academy trainees – in football and in weather and culture.
On the pitch, the boys have had to adjust to the quicker pace and intensity of the European game.
“Fitness or physically there are no issues. The tough part is coping with the decision-making. Everything seems to be going so fast over there and the players in Dortmund make much fewer errors, so our boys need to think and act quicker in duels.
“While they have been made to feel welcome, there is always the thinking of their local players that ‘you’re coming here to take my spot’ so our boys really need to show what they’re made of and earn their position,” stressed Daan.
Away from football, sub-zero temperatures of Dortmund’s winter and the variety of food offered to them were facets they needed some getting used to.
“In the beginning the boys were quite shocked because they didn’t know it could get or feel this cold here. The food here is also way different from traditional Asian food, it’s pretty plain – a lot of potatoes and rice, not much spices at all like what we have in Singapore.
“But as the trip went on, they started to enjoy the climate and have even started liking the food so that was nice to see,” he added.
It was not all serious work as the boys were afforded some time to tour the city. They also visited Dortmund’s iconic Signal Iduna Park and even tried out Dortmund’s famed Footbonaut machine that is designed to improve a player’s reaction time.
It has been a fruitful trip for the Sailors trainees who are getting a good gauge of their abilities and continue to receive good feedback from the BVB coaches.
“We have a good system in our academy and the boys are at a high level by Singapore’s standards, but it’s important for them to come here and see what the benchmark is in Europe. It’s really good for them to put things into perspective – not in a negative way but more of letting them realise where the gaps are and what needs to be done for them to be closer to that level.
“Their goalkeeper coach was actually really satisfied with Issac’s performance and said that he is technically really good. Overall, the feedback was that our boys didn’t look out of place alongside the BVB boys so that’s a good sign that they’re progressing and on the right track,” said Daan.
Daan was quick to point out that an opportunity to train with the BVB Academy does not come by everyday.
“It’s insane to have this opportunity and it remains a big dream to many. Some of these boys may not realise it at this moment, but I’m sure they will at some point later.”
Being away from the comforts of home and the safety net provided by family has helped the Sailors trainees toughen up.
“The boys are learning so much that they’re telling me they would like to come back again someday or train again in Europe in the future. This trip serves as an extra bit of motivation for them to push harder and set new goals when they’re back in Singapore,” added Daan.
“Also, one thing we’ve realised is that all the things we did over at Dortmund are not too different from the things we’re doing at the Sailors. That shows that we’re on the right path – from having the best coaches, the best training facility for our training programs – and we have to continue to strive to be better.”
I remember jumping out of my seat and looking around. What I saw has been seared into memory: everyone around me – players, staff and fans who had travelled up to Buriram – had done exactly the same and it was only a split second later when I realised that just like them, I had shot my fists up into the Thai sky.
Song Ui-young had leapt above the defenders around him and looped a stunning header into goal. Our Lion City Sailors had taken the lead against Korean side Daegu FC at the Buriram City Stadium.
The team would go on to beat the K League 1 side 3-0 and record the best-ever performance by a Singapore team at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) – seven points – and come within one match of qualifying for the ACL Round of 16.
Our Sailors wrote the club into the annals of Singapore football in that sensational three-week Thai sojourn.
Especially after those highs, to say that 2022 has been a rollercoaster ride of emotions is an understatement. We learnt several lessons this season, lessons that we have taken onboard as we bring our year to a close.
A glance in the rearview mirror
The club made eye-catching signings in pre-season, won the AIA Community Shield by beating Albirex Niigata (S) 2-1, with Kim Shin-wook netting a double.
We then quickly set the pace in the Singapore Premier League, on track to defend the title we won the year before, leading by as many as seven points after returning from our maiden ACL campaign.
But that was marred by some unsportsmanlike moments in the match against Tampines Rovers and further muddied by on-field inconsistency culminating in the ultimate surrender of the SPL title to a more consistent – and deserving – Albirex side.
The dark clouds of injuries, illnesses, and even traffic accidents rained down on any hope of redemption at our maiden Singapore Cup campaign.
We must be honest with ourselves – and we have – this is nowhere near good enough.
We must demand more of ourselves
This year posed multifaceted problems largely centred on the key issue that we did not hit the standards we are capable of consistently enough across the season.
We were somewhat unfortunate in terms of injuries, incidents, and illness, but that brings us back to the first point – we were just not good enough, consistently enough.
There are several examples from the region and across the globe that clearly illustrate that even if you assemble the best staff and squad – even personnel who are perhaps just beyond the realm of reality for your club at that point – there is no guarantee of immediate and consistent success.
We had to endure several storms in 2022, but we took in our stride as best we could – a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.
Indeed, the year has been a great teacher: that our internal processes must ladder up to our broad strategy and vision – and this goes across the various verticals in the club from the first team squad to the backroom and boardroom.
It would be easy to finger the coaching situation at the club, even individual performances, or a phase of poor results, but when I start to pen that list of what would be most obviously construed as the key reasons behind our failure to retain the SPL title – and make no mistake about it, it is a failure – the list starts to lengthen the more I think about it.
And I must bear some responsibility.
Our long hard look in the mirror has brought us back to fundamentals – of systems, processes, and mindset – and the clear understanding that to build a culture of winning takes more than just bringing the best together, it requires the best to adopt the same spirit and the same way of getting things done.
A reset for Sailors’ long-term future
It is clear to me that we need a strategic reset, a directional change that will get the club back on track. The move back to Bishan Stadium is in the offing, and alongside that there are several wheels already in motion that will help us along that path.
While we did not manage to achieve results we should have been able to attain, there has been growth in several facets of football that I am proud we have built – moves I believe will prove to be more and more important in the years ahead: infrastructure, the setting up of clear youth development pathways, and an ever-improving Women’s programme. This has also been matched in non-football facets of the club in branding as well as fan and community engagement.
The Lion City Sailors Training Centre went from concept to groundbreaking and official opening in just two years, giving Singapore our first integrated football training facility. The Training Centre will provide a fantastic platform to take the club’s football development strategy to the next level. And indeed, the state of the art facility has already received plaudits from Edin Terzic and his Borussia Dortmund (BVB) team.
It was fantastic to see so many of our fans also embracing our Women’s team, coming out in force to back Yeong Sheau Shyan’s women as they charged to the Deloitte Women’s Premier League title at the Yishun Stadium.
It was also encouraging to see some of our youth players combine well with our seniors in the 7-2 loss to BVB at the Jalan Besar Stadium just a few days ago (24 November). It was a satisfying manifestation of how we can effectively leverage our partnerships to excite fans and drive the club towards our long-term vision.
Indeed, the support of our fans has been a consistent beacon of light for us in 2022, a bright light that continued to shine even at our last SPL matchday when there was nothing left to play for. More than showing up for the big games, that for me was a clear indication of dedication from the Sailors faithful.
I am humbled by the heart-on-sleeves support from our fans, and the Sailors are indebted to them.
We have moved for deeper engagement with our fans and also to sink deep roots into the MacPherson community in which our Training Facility sits, and I am delighted that Ms Tin Pei Ling and her grassroots leaders have embraced our efforts.
Eyes still firmly fixed on the horizon
But even as we reset and sharpen our focus for the 2023 season, our raison d’etre – to drive progress in football here and to reignite Singaporean passion for the local game – remains the same, and indeed has sunk even deeper into the Sailors’ psyche.
There will always be highs and lows in football, and even as we celebrate our highs, we must learn to acknowledge the issues that lead to the lows – and work on them.
We must do this for our fans who consistently support us whatever our results.
We are going back to the same fundamentals that we believe will drive our next phase of growth in 2023 and beyond.
At the Sailors we continue to drive towards our vision of flying the Singapore flag at Asia’s top club competition, and to become one of the best clubs on the continent.
We already are the most successful Singapore club at the ACL, a record sparked by that magnificent header from our Singaporean Song that ignited spirited celebrations from every Sailor on the Buriram City Stadium pitch.
I am certain that if we can call on that same dedication and fire we saw from our Sailors that day – and consistently so – we can chart a path through much smoother seas and go full steam ahead towards our vision in 2023 and the years that follow.
It is exactly one month away from the highly anticipated Lion City Sailors-Borussia Dortmund (BVB) clash on 24 November and there is palpable excitement amongst the Sailors ranks, perhaps most among the younger members of the squad.
Two rising Sailors stars, Nur Adam Abdullah and Bill Mamadou, are already looking forward to the enticing prospect of jostling with some of Europe’s best – and impressing.
The Sailors-BVB friendly match is the crown jewel of the first leg of BVB’s Southeast Asia Tour that kicks off in Singapore (22-26 Nov).
“Of course, every player would feel nervous and at the same time excited at this type of opportunity to play against one of the most prestigious clubs from Europe – it doesn’t come every day.
“It’s going to be challenging for sure, but what better way to improve ourselves than by playing against an elite team? On a whole, this experience is going to help the team and challenge us individually as well,” said 21-year-old Nur Adam.
Bill, also 21, was in complete agreement with his teammate.
He said: “We’re going to play against proper world-class players and everyone knows how good they are. But as much as we respect them, we have to approach the game like any other game and not be afraid.
“At the end of the day, we are out to gain more experience out of these 90 minutes, and test ourselves.”
The Sailors have swiftly broken new ground since their 2020 inception. The club won their first domestic Singapore Premier League (SPL) title in 2021 before chalking up the best-ever points and goals tally – seven and eight respectively – by a Singaporean club at an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) campaign, on their April 2022 debut at the tournament.
Borne from the two-and-a-half-year partnership penned between the Sailors and BVB in July 2021, the BVB Southeast Asia Tour 2022 – The Singapore Leg will also see a series of off-the-field professional activities that will further underscore the deep relationship and drive further improvements at the Sailors.
To Nur Adam, the BVB fixture is a natural next step for the Sailors: to go up against teams that have an established culture of professionalism and success at a high level – and learn from the experience.
“As a new club, we’re always learning and improving, while being ambitious and aiming high. Take for example at the ACL, we played against Urawa Red Diamonds and Daegu FC – top teams in the region – and we really loved the experience,” said the young full-back, who has already made more than 50 domestic appearances.
“Going up against bigger teams, we’re bound to face defeats but it’s not just about the result in this type of match. The experience and what we can learn on and off the pitch is perhaps much more valuable and that benefits us on our journey towards our target of becoming one of Asia’s biggest clubs.”
Early Bird tickets are fast being snapped up by football fans on online ticketing platform SISTIC and Bill is relishing the opportunity to put on a good show in front of a packed Jalan Besar.
“We all know that there will be attention on this game and how excited our fans are. It’ll be something new for me personally, but I will just focus on my game and do what I can for the team,” said the centre-back, who has broken into the Sailors first team and impressed in recent weeks.
“I’m lucky that I’m learning from the best local players like Hariss (Harun) and (Amirul) Adli everyday in training. Also, my dad (former Singapore international Bah Mamadou) is always giving me advice on how to perform and excel, so I’m just absorbing as much as I can so that I can be an important player for the first team in the years to come.”
Before turning their gaze to the gala friendly, the key priority for the Sailors is to excel in the upcoming Singapore Cup – Luka Lalić’s men begin their campaign against Balestier Khalsa next Thursday (27 October) – which will round off their 2022 campaign.
It is a fact not lost on Nur Adam and the rest of the Sailors.
“We failed to retain the SPL title and that’s a big disappointment for the club all round, no doubt. We’re out for redemption in the Cup and we’re out to win it for our fans and families who have been supporting us,” he declared.
“Once we’re done with that, then we’ll properly look towards BVB and I know the only way I can be in the starting lineup for that is to put up consistent performances in the Cup.”
Tickets for the Balestier Cup fixture are already available on SISTIC, while Early Bird tickets for the Sailors-BVB game can still be purchased, also on SISTIC, here.
