The Lion City Sailors have bolstered their midfield with the signing of French midfielder Giovanni Haag on a two-year contract.
The 26-year-old arrives with considerable European experience, bringing steel, physicality, and composure to the Sailors’ engine room. Standing at 1.87m, Giovanni offers a commanding presence both in the air and on the ground, with his wide passing range, astute reading of the game, and ability to drive forward from midfield among his key qualities.
A former France Under-19 international, Giovanni has amassed more than 100 appearances in France’s Ligue 2 across three clubs, while also featuring close to 30 times in Germany’s 2. Bundesliga, underlining his reliability and ability to perform at a high level.
Of his 116 Ligue 2 appearances, 53 came for boyhood club Nancy, where he made his professional debut in 2018. He also went on to represent Rodez AF and Red Star FC in the same division.
Giovanni moved to Germany to join Fortuna Düsseldorf in August 2024, scoring twice as the club finished sixth in the 2. Bundesliga. He returned to France on loan with Red Star last season, featuring in 27 of a possible 31 league matches and helping the Parisian club finish fourth, just four points shy of automatic promotion to Ligue 1.
“Giovanni is exactly the profile we were looking for in midfield,” said Sailors Director of Football Luka Lalić. “He is an aggressive, intelligent and technically-sound number six who reads the game well, wins duels and is comfortable progressing the ball forward.
“He has built solid experience in competitive European leagues, and we believe he will bring the stability, balance and competition we need in midfield.”
Motivated by the opportunity to experience a new style of football and continue developing his game, Giovanni expressed his excitement at embarking on a new chapter with the Sailors.
“I’m really hungry to test myself, and after my discussions with the club, I feel this is an exciting project with big ambitions,” said Giovanni. “This team has achieved a lot over the past few years, but there remains a strong vision and desire to achieve even more and create further history for the club in Singapore.
“I’m a very competitive player who loves having the ball. I’m looking forward to showing my strengths, helping the team play good football and achieving our objectives on the continental stage.”
