Category: Feature
It has been a mixed start to the 2022 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season for the Lion City Sailors as they accumulated seven points from their opening four matches to sit in third in the eight team standings – a point behind leaders Tanjong Pagar United.
Starting their title defence with a 3-1 win over Hougang United, the Sailors suffered a setback in the following outing with a 1-0 loss to Geylang International – their first loss in 21 matches in all competitions. Kim Do-hoon’s men then bounced back with a 1-0 defeat of Tampines Rovers, before battling to a 1-1 draw against four-time champions Albirex Niigata (S).
As the Sailors gear up to face Balestier Khalsa on Friday in their first match after the FIFA international break, we look back on the five major talking points from the team’s first four league outings of 2022.
Hassan’s evergreen excellence in the Sailors’ goal
Hassan Sunny has arguably been the Sailors’ best player this season so far. In the three matches that he has played – missing only the Geylang defeat – the Singapore international has proved that he is still one of the best in the business – if not the best.
His overall command of the area has been impeccable, and he has been virtually unbeatable in one-on-one situations – pulling off numerous point-blank saves especially against Tampines and Albirex. Hassan has conceded two goals this season, both top quality blinding strikes from distance.
Turning 38 in April, Hassan is evidently ageing like fine wine and not going away any time soon. Dedication to his craft and leadership are two of his qualities that drive the rest of the team to step up. With him and Izwan Mahbud pushing each other hard on a daily basis, the goalkeeping situation at the Sailors – as well as on the international front – is in safe hands.
The Covid-19 situation has not helped
Head Coach Kim Do-hoon has yet to be able to field a consistent starting eleven, with various members of his squad falling victim to the coronavirus on separate occasions.
Faris Ramli missed the opening win over Hougang, then it was Tajeli Salamat and M Anumanthan’s turn against Tampines, with Kim Shin-wook also stuck in isolation prior to the Albirex fixture.
The Covid-19 situation remains fluid with players possibly testing positive the day after playing a game or even in the week leading up to the next game, requiring the Sailors’ technical team to react fast and adapt to such situations, redeploy their chess pieces or even rejig the game plan.
Iqram Rifqi is the latest one to be struck by the virus which led to him reluctantly withdrawing from the Singapore squad at the Football Association of Singapore Tri-Nations Series against Malaysia and the Philippines.
While this is hardly ideal, it is a situation that will affect every club, and will need to be managed throughout the season. Fortunately the Sailors have both strength and depth in the squad Kim has assembled.
We’re beginning to see the real Diego
Olá, Diego! The Brazilian playmaker is now starting to show what he can do, and why he deserves to be a regular starter for the Sailors.
Arriving with a sizable price tag in 2021, the former Benfica man exploded into life in the SPL with a hat-trick in an 8-0 win over Geylang and a wondrous match-winning volley in a 1-0 defeat of Hougang under Aurelio Vidmar, but subsequently found it hard going.
With a solid pre-season under his belt and honest chats with the Head Coach about expectations for 2022, the 27-year-old Diego has begun this campaign well. He came off the bench to score against Hougang, before being entrusted to start the Tampines and Albirex matches – marking the first time he started and completed the full 90 minutes since May 2021. In those two outings, he provided a real treat for the fans with silky close control and an ability to dictate play from the middle of the park.
The Sailors – and fans – are certainly looking forward to seeing him pick up where he left off when the SPL restarts, and hopefully hitting the right notes in the upcoming Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) campaign.
Resurgence of 2011 Lion City Cup stars
They were breakout stars in the 2011 Lion City Cup at the age of 15, and the pair of Adam Swandi and Iqram Rifqi have enjoyed some good times, but have also struggled through rough injury-riddled periods in their professional careers. Both of them are now starting to reap the rewards of their hard work and persistence.
A horrific anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in July 2019 saw Adam missing more than a year of action and he had to be content with being an impact substitute on several occasions since his comeback. In Kim’s first game in charge in July 2021, the playmaker was given his first start in over two years but lasted just 14 minutes due to another injury setback. The 26-year-old kept working hard behind the scenes, and is now trusted to start regularly in central midfield alongside Shahdan Sulaiman, impressing with his industry and smooth passing ability.
Iqram was also an ACL victim that led to him missing the majority of the Sailors’ inaugural season in 2020 and a hamstring injury meant he made only a handful of appearances on loan at Geylang in 2021. However, he has come back with a vengeance this season – netting in the opening win against Hougang and is the only player along with captain Hariss Harun to start all four league games this year. Iqram’s sparkling form means there will be tough competition for Nur Adam Abdullah to regain the left-back position that he owned last year.
Still perfecting the Sailors’ art
The Sailors will be first to admit that their performances in the first four league matches of 2022 could have been better. The coaching team and players have been hard at work trying to fine-tune the Sailor’s offensive rhythm and fluidity in their football. And slowly but surely, things are coming together for the Sailors.
Against Albirex, the side that pushed the title race to the final match last season, the Sailors showed especially in the opening half-hour that they can dictate the tempo of the play and deprive the opponents of the ball by constantly pressing from the front.
On the numbers front, things are looking healthier as well. Gabriel Quak and Nur Adam Abdullah have worked their way back to full fitness and made quite an impact as second-half substitutes against Albirex, with the former showing the nerve to net an injury-time penalty equaliser. Pedro Henrique will return for the SPL restart after completing a two-match suspension, while Maxime Lestienne is also chomping at the bit and working doubly hard to get his first start in a Sailors shirt.
All these bodes well for the Sailors as they gear up for an important April – with SPL fixtures against Balestier, Young Lions and Tanjong Pagar to navigate before travelling to Buriram, Thailand for their maiden ACL campaign.
International Women’s Day is celebrated across the globe on 8 March, commemorating the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women.
In this special feature, we look behind the veil of Sailors women who continue to drive the club forward, to better understand their struggles, challenges and inspiration as they make their mark in the male-dominated Singapore football industry.
With firm eyes gazing over the green of the Mattar Road fields, Chloe Alphonso barks out instructions with an air of authority that belies her slight figure. She demands nothing less than 100 percent focus from her trainees, because commitment and discipline are critical in sport, and it is also what she demands of herself.
The 25-year-old is one of the roses amongst the thorns at the Lion City Sailors Football Academy, and like for every trainer – or administrator – in the organisation, football is accepted as serious business, and every member must play their part for the team to succeed.
Football is a largely male-dominated industry in Singapore, but there are those like Chloe who stride freely in and carve out a space for themselves, breaking the bias with their personality, perspective, and commitment to the cause they have chosen.
The Sailors are blessed to have several such women in the club’s ranks, and on International Women’s Day, the Sailors celebrate their spirit and effort.
Chloe is a performance trainer who specialises in strength and conditioning (S&C). She assists the Academy’s Head of Performance Mark Onderwater and Lead S&C Coach Callum Liddle, and also has the responsibility of leading both gym and on-pitch sessions for the boys from the Under-10 squad all the way through to the Singapore Football League (SFL) team that will participate in Singapore’s amateur league.
The Sailors women
Chloe admits her presence does draw attention and quizzical looks from some surprised parents, but she is confident that her presence is well-merited.
“Whenever I tell someone about my role in the Academy, their first instinct is “wow!” Jaws start to drop with eyes wide open, but I don’t take that as a bad thing,” said Chloe, chuckling.
“It’s good that people are impressed that more women are coming into the field and there are many others who are doing the same thing as I am at the elite level.”
Football remains a male-dominated sport, but the ground is shifting.
More and more females are getting into the game, at all levels, and in varying roles, and it is no different at the Sailors, a club that has embraced the expertise and contribution of women in the organisation.
Nurhafizah Abu Sujad is the Sailors’ Head of Physiotherapy, and also widely celebrated as the Florence Nightingale of local football, while Suzanna Foo is the acting Team Manager for the Sailors’ star-studded Singapore Premier League (SPL) team. And then there is Yeong Sheau Shyan who is perhaps the leader of the largest group of women within the club, she is the Head Coach of the Sailors Women’s Team.
Breaking through the wall
These ladies differ in areas of expertise, in personality and age, but have all faced similar barriers on their road into the sport, but they also share a similar commitment to push past obstacles to drive towards their goals.
Sheau Shyan struggled to land job opportunities when she first came into the scene in 2006 and only switched to full-time coaching some years later.
“There weren’t actually any coaching opportunities for female coaches, perhaps because schools and academies would rather have some “old uncles” who have a little bit of football experience than to trust a female coach – because they’ve never seen one before,” said the 44-year-old.
“It was difficult to make coaching a full-time career choice because you only had one or two coaching jobs to try and make enough to survive.”
For Chloe who started coaching at the LCS academy some five months ago, after graduating with a Masters in Sports and Exercise Medicine from a UK university, the stigma came earlier when she was a young aspirant in a local polytechnic and was often made to feel she did not belong in this field.
“People often go like “women in sport? Those don’t exist, oh, surely you should pick someone else”, or “women aren’t capable of doing the things that men are doing”. Even in university in the sport science setting, the ratio between women and men was quite obvious,” she revealed.
Suzanna’s struggles kicked off in the last millennium – the very year Singapore got its first professional league – but appear to sprout from the same roots.
Since the S.League (now rebranded as the Singapore Premier League) was established in 1996, she has worked in football administration roles at the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) as well as at various local clubs’ senior teams and youth teams.
“Back in those days, fewer women were working in football so it was normal for the boys to think that we don’t understand this sport and they tend not to open up to women. They used to always believe that men should be the one in leadership roles and not women,” said the 47-year-old.
“Even my mum thought it was not suitable for me to work in football, so we needed to be very strong in our character and be firm in our beliefs. It required a lot of patience and endurance to handle all the issues that came our way in this line of work.”
Challenges still remain
The challenge of balancing motherhood and career exists for women across every industry, and it is no different in sport. Fizah is well familiar with the bias mothers have had to face in the working world.
“When I first started as a physiotherapist in football – with the FAS – there were already preconceived judgments being thrown at me. I was a mother of two toddlers, and my prospective employers seemed to believe that I would find it challenging to work in the football environment because it would see a lot of travelling, and I would have difficulty managing work and family,” said the 40-year-old.
“I wanted to prove them wrong, that despite having a family, I can continue to do well at work while continuing to be a good mother to my children, and wife to my husband.
“Of course you miss birthdays and important events like sports days and kindergarten graduation when you’re travelling, but you make up for all that by being present whenever you have time with your family,” added Fizah.
For Suzanna, there is the obvious disadvantage of not being able to walk into the changing room as freely as she would like to and have a deeper conversation with her male players, but she works around this.
Chloe has found a method that has helped her along her own journey: to derive strength from lifting other females who are involved in sport.
“Whenever I see someone, for instance a personal trainer in a different organisation, I always talk to them and give them support like: “hey, don’t doubt yourself! You can do it!” It’s important not to let anyone else tell us otherwise, we’re more than capable of doing the same thing – if not better than men.”
“Just by being around other females and giving them the motivation does a lot because I do need that from others at times as well,” she said.
Support from allies
On this path less trodden, these Sailors women find inspiration from varied sources, renowned female figures and people who matter most to them.
Chloe is driven by females working hard to succeed at the top level in various capacities, while Sheau Shyan’s coaching philosophy is very much shaped by experienced Dutch coach Hesterine De Reus, who came to Singapore a few years ago as a UEFA technical consultant to support the FAS’ Women’s Department.
In difficult moments, Suzanna always turns to her late father’s advice – to always be responsible at work.
“My dad was the one who inspired me to work in football, he brought me to the National Stadium to support the national team when I was young. He was the one who kick-started my love for football and encouraged me to stay on in the sport,” she said.
“He has passed on, but whenever I face any obstacles, I always remember what he said and will fight on.”
Fizah’s biggest role model is her mother.
“To help support our large, extended family with at least three generations living in the same household, she worked as a babysitter for extra income. She assumed so many roles at the same time, in addition to being a mother, and that perhaps prepared me for what I was to face as an adult.” said Fizah.
“Her perseverance and dedication to serve all of us really inspired me to do the same – to give more than 100 percent in everything that I took and to do better for those I cared about,” said Fizah, who has been blessed with a sturdy support structure at work.
“One of perhaps the most critical aspects of my career as it panned out was that the FAS came to be like my second family,” she added.
“With good rapport and communication with my colleagues, I know I can always depend on someone if I’m down or need to attend to things at home. My team knew when I meant business and what kind of quality of work was required, but they also knew that I was their friend, their sister. It’s this kind of environment that allowed me to succeed.”
Significance of International Women’s Day
As the world comes together to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March, the 2022 IWD slogan #BreakTheBias means a lot to these Sailors women as they look to go even further in football.
Suzanna and Sheau Shyan are happy that there is more awareness of the issues and challenges facing women in male-dominated environments, while Chloe believes things should go even further.
“Honestly, it’s like Valentine’s Day. Love should be celebrated every day – just like we should celebrate women every day!” she mused. “Having a day to highlight the significance of this just shows how much it takes to change the general mindset.
“I’m not belittling the significance of IWD, I just think it’s super important not for just our generation, but also past generations to slowly chip away and break down the stereotypes that women don’t belong (in various areas). We need all voices to speak up for women.
“For myself, I definitely aspire to become a Head of S&C or Head of Performance in the future. Seeing more and more females in this male-dominated environment, I’ve no reason to tap out and I know I just need to keep pushing to achieve my dreams.”
Fizah, who is already a leader in her organisation, believes the way forward must see females working to lift each other up instead of viewing each other as potential threats.
“We’ve to learn to team up in the spirit of mutual empowerment, to encourage and support one another. That way, we can make it more likely that we are all able to find success together,” said the former youth netballer.
“I live by my alma mater’s (Tanjong Katong’s Girls School) motto of “Moribus Modestus” – to be a modest individual, but still determined and purposeful in the things that I set out to do,” she said.
“The aim is to be the light that helps those around you to see, and to make a difference in their lives. This motto has kept me going, and it has been especially helpful, considering the nature of my work, when positive energy emanating from me can help those around me.”
Every new year brings with it new challenges, and there will be plenty of those ahead of the Lion City Sailors in 2022.
The club’s maiden Singapore Premier League (SPL) title will not be forgotten anytime soon, but Kim Do-hoon’s men will firmly set their sights on breaking more barriers this season as the club charges into not just the league, but two other competitions that the Sailors will compete in for the first time: the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) and the Singapore Cup.
A winning start was made over the weekend with a triumph in the AIA Community Shield – the first time the Sailors have defeated Albirex in six encounters since the club’s inception in 2020 – and excitement levels are building up.
The Sailors are chomping at the bit to get the SPL season underway against Hougang United in the club’s first league match this Sunday.
And below are eight reasons we should all get hyped too!
- Drawing from the bright lights of Europe
Diego Lopes will not be the only Sailor with European pedigree in the squad this season, thanks to the arrivals of Maxime Lestienne and Pedro Henrique.
Set to become the first Belgian to play in the SPL, Lestienne has spent the entirety of his career in Europe’s top leagues. The 29-year-old started off at hometown side Royal Excelsior Mouscron and went on to play for Club Brugge, before moving out to Genoa (Italy), PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) and Malaga (Spain). The skilful winger joins from Standard Liège, and having represented Belgium at every age-group from the Under-15s through to the Under-21s, as well as possessing UEFA Champions League and Europa League experience under his belt, Lestienne’s quality is undoubted.
Pedro, also 29, began his career in his native Brazil but is no stranger to top-flight football in Europe. The commanding centre-back spent five seasons in Portugal’s Primeira Liga with Vitória Guimarães from 2015 to 2020, amassing 155 appearances and becoming a fan favourite. Like Lestienne, Pedro has played in the Europa League and his experience is sure to benefit the Sailors backline.
- Anu and Izwan bring depth
It is not often that a team possesses two top-class goalkeepers but that is exactly the situation at the Sailors this year. The recruitment of Izwan Mahbud, regarded as Singapore’s best between the sticks alongside Hassan Sunny, means that the Sailors will be in extremely safe hands regardless of who wears the gloves.
Further ahead in midfield, the arrival of M Anumanthan adds never-before-seen depth to the engine room. Fresh off a stellar season with Kedah, the combative midfielder’s homecoming means that the Sailors will possess extra steel and panache in the centre of the park to complement the talents of Shahdan Sulaiman, Saifullah Akbar, Diego Lopes and Adam Swandi.
Both established Singapore internationals who know what it takes to win, Anu and Izwan will play important roles this season.
- Double (K)im-pact
Kim Shin-wook’s move to the Sailors made huge waves – and it looks like the connection between the striker and Head Coach Kim Do-hoon has instantly blossomed.
Wookie, as he is affectionately known, produced a clinical display against Albirex to help the Sailors come from behind to win the Community Shield on his first outing in Singapore. Coach Kim has previously spoken about how the South Korea international’s characteristics suit the Sailors, while the opportunity for Shin-wook to work with Coach Kim was a huge factor in his decision to come to Singapore.
Like Shin-wook, Coach Kim is also an ACL winner and a striker during his playing days – there is no one better-placed to fully draw out the former’s potential as Shin-wook looks to spearhead the Sailors to hunt for glory.
- Back and raring to go
Amid all the excitement about the new boys, it should not be forgotten that there are a handful of returning players who are raring to go.
Hami Syahin, Iqram Rifqi, Zulqarnaen Suzliman and Anaqi Ismit all spent time away at other clubs in 2021 but are poised to be part of the Sailors this season. With the sheer number of matches the team is set to play, particularly with the new quadruple round-robin league format in force this year, there will be opportunities to impress for the quartet.
Hami and Zulqarnaen both featured fairly regularly for the Young Lions and also tasted Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup action last December along with Iqram, who is on the way back to his best after a lengthy injury lay-off that sidelined him for most of his time at Geylang International. Meanwhile, Anaqi will be hoping to get a chance to prove himself after impressing at Tanjong Pagar United, where he scored four times.
- Defending the crown
Common knowledge suggests that winning a title is tough, but defending that title is even harder. The Sailors will be put to the test this season, especially with teams around the SPL strengthening and eyeing the very crown the team will wear in 2022.
But Hariss Harun and company are raring to go. A rigorous pre-season regime has prepared the Sailors well for battle in what will be a long campaign, and while many opponents will take aim, it is clear that there is determination throughout the entire squad to savour the feeling of being champions again. The comeback victory in the Community Shield was a prime example of how the team has the ability to dig deep when the chips are down – this never-say-die spirit outs the Sailors Class of 2022 in good stead to retain the league.
- A shot at the Singapore Cup
The return of the Singapore Cup – the tournament was called off in each of the past two seasons due to the pandemic – offers the Sailors the chance to taste even more domestic success this season. The likes of Shahdan, Song Ui-young and Adam Swandi will relish the opportunity to win this competition again as the Sailors take a crack at winning the Cup for the first time.
- A seat at Asia’s top table
Every footballer dreams of competing against the best – and the ACL is the perfect platform for the Sailors to do just that. The cancellation of the AFC Cup last season robbed the club of the opportunity to taste continental football for the first time, so 2022’s debut at the pinnacle of Asian club football will be even sweeter when the competition kicks off in April.
This will take place in Buriram, Thailand, the centralised venue for Group F with the Sailors facing 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.
There is little doubt that these first steps in the ACL will prove a stern test, but it is a tantalising prospect to be able to face Asia’s elite. It is in the Sailors DNA to strive for excellence and stand up against the best in the business – and there is palpable excitement around the upcoming ACL debut.
- More for fans
The sensational support from the stands drove the Sailors across the finish line last year, and there is unanimous agreement within the club that you – the fan – will continue to be vital if the Sailors are to go even further in 2022.
Last year, the club moved to amp up the matchday experience at Jalan Besar Stadium to match the quality on the pitch. The Crew membership initiative was launched last year, and it has proved to be a hit with all of you. It has now been revamped to bring more value to all members with exclusive discounts and perks in 2022.
On top of that, online ticketing has also been introduced to make attending Sailors’ matches a breeze, while plans are also in the pipeline to further enhance the match-going experience at all home games.
Stay tuned to the Sailors’ online channels too – there will be plenty of exclusive and innovative content to get you up close and personal with your favourite players, and a better look below the deck of the Lion City Sailors.
Get your tickets here!
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.
The last of this series is extra special. We turn the camera onto those at the centre of all our efforts – you, the football fan – and you get your own title in this series: From the Stands. In this piece, Jonathan Lee speaks on his journey from watching on the periphery of Singapore football, to personally driving fandom of the Lion City Sailors.
The Lion City Sailors (LCS) were unable to build on the huge buzz following the launch of the club in February 2020, with the global pandemic sending the majority of that year’s matches behind closed doors.
But as Covid-19 restrictions began to loosen in 2021, fans from all walks of life started to flock to stadiums across the island, especially the Jalan Besar Stadium, the Sailors’ home for 2021.
One of those was Jonathan Lee, who had been watching Singapore Premier League (SPL) games on the periphery, through online streaming, but the Sailors project – and performances – piqued his interest.
The 4-1 win over Tampines Rovers where the Sailors displayed some swashbuckling football to dispatch a team that participated in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) two months prior made a huge impression on Jonathan, and he had to see things for himself – and ended up coming back for more.
“On matchdays, you can always see club CEO Chew Chun-Liang being there near the stadium entrance to greet and interact with the fans. You can even see him carrying boxes up and down at times,” said the 25-year-old.
“There’s a very good vibe at the matches and you can see families coming down – there’s a good mixture of the young and old in the stands. Nur Adam Abdullah’s family is always there, even his grandmother is always up there in the stands to support him,” added Jonathan, who picked up on various non-football aspects of the Sailors’ spirit that resonated with him.
“When you bought the Sailors jersey, it came along with a season pass, a Crew t-shirt, a lanyard and a facemask. No other club provides such an attractive package. On the club side, I’ve spoken to The Lion City Boy (Sailors’ Creative Director, Kevin Lester) and Ravi Maan (Sailors’ Head of Marketing) and I’m looking forward to having more conversations with them.
“It’s quite rare to have a club that has people who are ever so willing to interact and engage the fans – to know them on a personal level. The club has really done a great job to attract fans and bring back the support.”
Jonathan has long been a supporter of Singapore football. He was in fact a Warriors FC supporter since his youth, until the club sat out of the SPL from 2020, and did not adopt any club until the lure of the Sailors convinced him to come onboard
“I know there are people out there saying the Sailors are only about money and buying glory, but I don’t think it’s right to go down those lines. The club clearly wants to bring back the thriving state of Singapore football and push the level of football up another level,” he explained.
“As such, there’s a need to invest resources to bring in the best and become the best. If not, Singapore football will always be stuck in this bubble and not be able to challenge in the region.”
Soon after becoming a Sailors fan, Jonathan created LCS Family with the aim of creating a platform to further promote the players, and building a community where people from all walks of life can come together to support the club.
A full-time content creator and designer, he makes full use of his expertise in graphic design to create statistical posts and graphics to help boost the profile of Sailors’ players.
Purely doing this out of passion, the avid fan often puts in hours of hard work – waking up early and sleeping late – but he feels it is all worth it.
“Sometimes after my work, I will rush home just to do more research and work on the ideas that I’ve for LCS Family,” admitted Jonathan, whose inspiration comes from the social media posts of neighbouring Johor Darul Ta’zim and top European clubs like Manchester United and Manchester City.
Jonathan’s LCS Family’s Instagram account now has almost 600 followers.
“It’s really tiring at times, but I’m really motivated when players start to take notice. Gabriel Quak and (former Sailors’ forward) Stipe Plazibat have reposted my photos on their accounts… Aqhari Abdullah and Tajeli Salamat – these two have no airs about them and are very easy to talk to. It’s great to have them appreciating what I do and that’s exactly the aim – for the club to be one big family, including players, staff and fans.”
One memory carved onto Jonathan’s mind is sitting in the stands and witnessing the Sailors’ first-ever title win last October.
“I went to queue around 1pm on matchday because I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to get tickets and I’m lucky to be one of the first few,” he recalled fondly. “There were several ups and downs… I was streaming the Albirex Niigata (S) vs Tanjong Pagar United game on my phone while also watching the Sailors’ game. Balestier (Khalsa) equalised against us while Albirex were leading by a few goals in the first half.
“Some fans including me were quite worried, but when Tanjong Pagar started to come back into the game, we shouted to give an indication to our players, and everyone started to be more motivated. And when Gabriel scored that fourth goal, we just knew we’re going to win the trophy.
“Everyone was just celebrating together.”
Jonathan’s love for the club seems set to grow stronger in 2022 – he has received his season pass and his ultimate dream is to do a ACL-winning poster for the club.
“One thing’s for sure, I’ll be there for every Sailors match – rain or shine. We’ve signed quality players like Kim Shin-wook and Maxime Lestienne this season,” said a bullish Jonathan.
“I have every confidence in our boys, I will continue to support them and I’m sure we’ll make Singapore proud in the ACL.”
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’ Head Physiotherapist Nurhafizah Abu Sujad reflects on the speedy growth of her department, and the exciting times ahead when the Sailors move to their Mattar Road home later this year.
In July 2021, the Lion City Sailors roped in a familiar face from the Singapore football industry – as the Head of Physiotherapy to support the club’s drive for football excellence through building a robust sports medicine structure.
In a short space of time, Nurhafizah Abu Sujad has already seen the club lift its first-ever Singapore Premier League (SPL) title and AIA Community Shield, and she will continue to be an important figure as the club embarks on its historic Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) campaign alongside the region’s best in April 2022 – this just two short months after the club celebrated its second birthday on 14 February.
Despite the trophies, it has not exactly been a walk in the park.
Working with a demanding coach like Kim Do-hoon who emphasises a higher level of intensity at training and 100 percent commitment from the players, there is pressure on the medical department to help ensure that players continue to stay fit and fresh, but it is a pressure that Fizah has embraced.
“Expectations are higher this year, not just on the players but also on our department to deal with issues that may arise, so I have to say it’s been quite stressful in the lead-up to the season,” she said.
“But it’s good that we have stress – it pushes us to be better. The good team that we’ve assembled helps all of us cope – in times of stress, we help each other and become even stronger as a unit.”
Players are critical assets for any team looking to raise levels and mix with the best in the business, and it is also important to have a robust medical department working behind the scenes to ensure that those at the front and centre of achieving results for the club remain in the best condition to continue to do exactly that.
Most of the work takes place below the deck, far from the public eye, but there are precious few who would contest the assertion that the club’s medical team is critical to its overall vision.
There has been much progress
After eight months or so on the job, Fizah, as she is affectionately known as in football circles, is pleased with progress, after having laid out a good framework and firming up processes to make things “more effective and efficient” in the areas of injury prevention and management.
Fizah’s Sailors team includes sports trainer Fazly Hasan, sports therapist Fathul Nur Hakim and performance coach Shazaly Ayob, with each working well in their own areas, although she admits the club can always make do with more hands on deck.
“We’ve certainly beefed up our structure. There is increased manpower for recovery of our players, including providing massages and treatment. We try to ensure it’s a seamless process for any injured player – from identifying the issue to managing them well and returning them to training and playing as safely as possible,” said Fizah.
“We now have a strong medical team, but we’re always looking for more people who can join us – especially because 2022 is going to be a big, tough year for us with the (ACL) coming up. We need to ensure the players are always in top condition and top form. Having extra manpower will surely help us in terms of managing player recovery.”
Going beyond the first team
Fizah’s responsibilities are not just focused on the first team. In the months and years ahead, she aims to have firm and consistent sports medicine processes that extend beyond the senior squad through to the club Academy’s age-group teams.
“The key is that when a player is promoted from the Academy into the first team, the medical processes remain the same as those they are already comfortable with. We are in regular discussions with the Academy – people like Mark Onderwater (Academy’s Head of Performance) and Mike Kerklaan (Academy’s Head of Physiology) to ensure this becomes a seamless process – that is our common goal,” she shared.
“We’re going to be sharing the same facilities at Mattar Road later this year, and processes will probably be smoother by then. In addition to beefing up our medical departments, we’ll also conduct workshops and knowledge sharing between both sides.”
But with the Mattar training facility poised to be operational only in the second half of this year, players and medical staff continue to shuttle between Bishan Stadium and the gym at Jalan Besar Stadium for rehabilitation work.
A challenging, but rewarding path ahead
Fizah and company have to put in longer hours, reporting at least four hours before kick off on match day to make sure medical equipment is properly set up, and staying behind as long as three hours after training sessions to make sure the players get the treatment they need.
Up there amongst the biggest and trickiest issues to tackle, is managing expectations of not just players, but also coaches. Fizah recalls the heat being turned up at the end of 2021, when now-departed forward Stipe Plazibat suffered an unfortunate ankle injury and missed the last four games of the season.
“Whenever a key player gets injured, there is always pressure on the medical team. We assess, diagnose, and provide an estimated timeline for him to recover, but sometimes the player wants to rush and return earlier because they want to fight for their place in the first 11,” she said. “Sometimes it’s the coaches who may want him to return faster and are wondering why this player isn’t back in training yet.
“So we have to sit down with everyone to discuss what’s best for the team and we try to find a balance and it’s never easy. The most important thing is that the player returns to action – safely – that’s always the ultimate goal.”
Improved communication and clarity, not just within Fizah’s burgeoning sports medicine department, but across the whole club is an area which gives her the most satisfaction in her short tenure thus far.
“It was quite overwhelming when I first came in,” she admitted. “But we sat down, re-organised, and we now know our individual roles. Of course there will be some overlaps, but we have clarity on what each of us contributes.
“Things are now getting across more smoothly, now that we’re communicating well with the technical staff and members of the management as well. Any issues that arise, we talk, trial and sort things out as one team.
“For example, for the new signings, our department and Head of Sport Science, Mario Jovanovic, actually sat down with Badri (Ghent, Sporting Director), and he shared with us the type of players the club is looking to sign and we give our inputs in terms of the issues that we have to look out for and the things that we need to work on when they join us.”
Players are already helping the collective cause
Fizah counts herself fortunate that she does not need to do much to educate players, and that is largely because a large number of players are experienced, consummate professionals.
“Players have evolved in recent times… Especially in the Sailors, they know they’ve to take good care of themselves to perform their best. They actually have good knowledge and they always ask questions,” she said.
“Of course there are the younger ones, and we need to educate them more, but they want to emulate senior players like Hariss (Harun) and Hassan (Sunny). These seniors will also give the medical team advice, knowing what’s best for themselves and that helps us.”
The pre-season is always the busiest period for the medical department that has to monitor players’ physical conditions and key indicators like body fat percentage after returning from weeks of inactivity, as well as conducting a series of tests on new arrivals to have a clear picture on injuries and make sure they are ready for the gruelling season ahead.
Fizah has been impressed by the Sailors’ new foreign signings, Pedro Henrique and Kim Shin-wook, and is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to work with a player like Maxime Lestienne who comes with experience at the very highest level.
“Physical attributes-wise, they’re great… They know how to take care of themselves and they will approach the medical team themselves, in terms of injury prevention. They’re also sharing their knowledge – having played in top leagues – and that makes our job so much easier,” she said.
“They’re physically and mentally ready, and they just want to win things here. I’m already looking forward to working with Maxime, who has immense experience in top European leagues.”
With the squad witnessing no major injuries in pre-season and the Community Shield fixture, Fizah is feeling optimistic about the year ahead. She hopes to see the team retain the SPL title and put up respectable performances in the ACL, but over and above that, Fizah wants her sport medicine department to continue to evolve and sustain best practices like the best in the business.
“We have to keep upgrading ourselves, continually learning and studying so that we can be better medical professionals.”
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.”
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
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.”
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’ Football Academy trainees, Idzham Eszuan and Nathan Mao look back on a trip into the unknown and the lessons gleaned – about football and themselves.
At the start, it looked like it was going to be 42 long days away from the comforts of home and the safety net of parents, and into the clammy fingers of European winter – a big ask for a group of boys barely into their teenage years.
But the 13 and 14 year-olds in the Lion City Sailors Football Academy Under-14 Elite squad came back from the Sailors’ six-week Europe training camp in Germany and the Netherlands at the end of 2021 with broad smiles, a heap of invaluable experience under their belts, and a bagful of stories to tell.
“The first thing which I told my parents when I came back was that playing 11 versus 11 was so fun,” said Nathan Mao, a Secondary 2 student at Zhonghua Secondary. “We were focused on our football but that didn’t stop us from having fun with each other every day… it really got the team spirit going.”
The trip was borne out of the two-and-a-half year partnership forged with Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund (BVB) in July last year.
The team, led by Academy Director Luka Lalić, did well on the trip despite having not trained or played in the 11-a-side format for almost two years due to Covid-19 restrictions in Singapore. The boys acquitted themselves – even excelled – against high-calibre opposition collecting six wins and a draw over a total of 11 matches – defeating teams like FC Utrecht and BVB along the way.
But the team gained so much more than just match experience. Spending a prolonged period together on and off the pitch, the players bonded more than ever before in their time as a team, enjoying their time so much that few were keen to return home at the end.
“Initially I thought it’s going to be very hard because this would be the longest time I’ll be away from my family, but my teammates made it so enjoyable,” said team captain Idzham Eszuan. “It was tough, but we went through it together.
“We woke up every morning feeling very excited and energetic – the weather was cold and we enjoyed having unrestricted training. It was just so nice to be away together and we got to know each other very well over the trip.”
More accustomed to Singapore’s warmer climate, the boys had to quickly adjust to playing in chilly conditions, against quality opponents no less.
Idzham, who plays as a centre-back, recalls several memorable moments including one that saw him nutmeg an opposition forward in his own penalty area and also having to step up to lead by example despite being soft-spoken off the pitch.
“Of course we feel down whenever we concede a goal or lose a match, but as a captain, I had to learn to keep my head up and lead so the team will follow suit,” said the 14-year-old, a Secondary 3 student at Westwood Secondary School.
“Some of us did feel a bit intimidated playing against some big teams, so before the game we just hyped each other up to make sure everyone of us was mentally ready to play the game. It was not just me, but it was clear that all of us learnt that we have to try and build up each other’s confidence during the game to make sure the whole team is at the same level.
“The first few games were tough, but we slowly got used to the tempo and everyone grew so much during the trip… My coaches were all surprised that I had the confidence to do such a thing (the nutmeg) and we celebrated like crazy after defeating Dortmund.”
Meanwhile Nathan, who plays as a forward, learnt how to cope against defenders of a bigger physique and how to recover from setbacks.
“For those opponents in the same age-group as us, the size difference wasn’t that big. But when it came to those who are a year older, the difference was suddenly massive,” noted the 13-year-old. “Most of their defences are very well-organised, so we had to learn how to create opportunities and be clinical.
“We actually played well against Feyenoord and were only down by a goal at half time, but we didn’t take a couple of opportunities and were so tired in the second half that we lost by a few goals. Against FC Dordrecht, it was our worst game – our mentality wasn’t there, our heads went down after conceding the first goal and we kept losing the ball because we were trying to force play. All these were valuable lessons for us.”
A battling draw against FC Cologne – leaders in the German domestic youth league – in the final match of the tour was one that showcased the team’s improvement and maturity over the course of the 42-day European sojourn.
Courtesy of the ongoing partnership between the Sailors and BVB, the boys had the opportunity to train in the famed BVB academy and even enjoyed a rare matchday experience in Dortmund’s iconic Signal Iduna Park – witnessing the massive clash between two of Germany’s biggest clubs with Bayern Munich prevailing 3-2 in a see-saw match.
The trip was not merely about football, but also about teenage self-discovery, getting the boys out of their comfort zone and encouraging the embracing of independence.
“We had to fold our clothes every day and make sure nothing got lost. In Singapore, I haven’t really had to do it myself,” admitted Nathan, who is an only child. “On the trip I had to make sure I was responsible and frugal, so that I didn’t spend too much money in the first few days and have enough left towards the end of the trip.
“Everyone was staying with a roommate so we had to learn to look out for each other. If you needed to use the toilet, you made sure you went in and out really fast so that your roommate could use it… we learnt little things like this.”
For Idzham, one of the fondest aspects of the trip was being able to overcome his fear of heights. With the support and encouragement from his teammates, he managed to navigate high obstacles and ziplines during a visit to a climbing park in Rotterdam.
The Sailors’ U14 boys have returned to Singapore, armed with new perspectives and a new-found confidence knowing they have the ability to go toe-to-toe with top European players in their age-group.
This Europe training trip has also fuelled their football ambitions.
“It makes me feel like there’s a proper path to success and my dream can really be achieved,” said Idzham.
“It has really helped me understand the level that I’m at and how far I’ve to catch up to match the players in Europe – it was like a reality check,” acknowledged Nathan. “In the Sailors academy they’ve given us such a fantastic opportunity – putting together all the best players from our age-group, but then we go and play against all these amazing players in Europe and we’ve seen for ourselves what our level really is.
“That really challenged us and now we know what we need to do and how hard we need to work to get to that level.”
