Category: News
Aurelio Vidmar leaves Lion City Sailors
Lion City Sailors announce today that the club will part ways with our head coach, Aurelio Vidmar, who has decided to pursue other opportunities, with effect from 30th of April 2021.
“We sincerely thank Aurelio for his work in getting the Lion City Sailors project off the ground in our first season, and for implementing a mindset of professionalism and excellence in the club,” said Sailors CEO, Chew Chun-Liang.
“We wish Aurelio nothing but the best in his future endeavours.”
Vidmar led the Sailors to third spot in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) in the club’s first season since its February 2020 founding, a truncated season hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. But the team lit up the league with scintillating attacking football that saw three Sailors receive personal accolades at the year-end SPL Awards night – Gabriel Quak was named Player of the Year, with Saifullah Akbar picked as the SPL’s Young Player of the year and Stipe Plazibat’s 14 goals in 14 matches saw him end 2020 as the league’s top scorer.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the Lion City Sailors project and I thoroughly enjoyed my time here with the team and management. I’m sure Singapore football fans were entertained by some of the football we continue to dish out, and I look forward to hearing about the future successes of the club,” said Vidmar.
“Thank you, Sailors, and thank you Singapore for your hospitality and kindness during my time here.”
Robin Chitrakar, the head coach of the Sailors’ Under-21 side will take charge of the first team on an interim basis.
The club will make an announcement on the appointment of a new head coach in due course.
The Lion City Sailors’ Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup Asean Zone Group Stage matches have been rescheduled.
Originally slated to be played from June 22 to 28, the Sailors’ Group H fixtures will now be held from June 29 to July 5.
The exact date of the Group H matches, which will see the Sailors take on Vietnam’s Saigon FC, Malaysia outfit Kedah Darul Aman, and the winner of the Asean Zone play-offs 3.2, has yet to be fixed.
In a statement posted on the AFC website, the continental body said: “The decision to reschedule the ASEAN Zone was taken after the confirmation of the new match schedule for the AFC Champions League (East) Playoff matches, which are now planned for June 22, 2021 and, depending on the outcome of the Preliminary Stage matches, may include the participation of teams from the ASEAN Zone.”
The Sailors’ Group H games are still scheduled to be played in Singapore.
Barely a week after witnessing Gabriel Quak score a goal that was deemed worthy of being nominated for the Puskas award, Lion City Sailors midfielder Diego Lopes submitted an entry of his own with an equally stunning strike against Hougang United last evening.
Receiving the ball at the edge of the box from a Faris Ramli throw-in, Diego swivelled and volleyed a shot with his right foot that seemingly defied the laws of physics, as it curled outwards and dipped into the top corner of the net.
🤯 𝗗𝗜𝗘𝙂𝙊-𝙇𝘼𝙕𝙊 ‼️
What have you done, Diego Lopes?! 💣 A 𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒔 hit from the @lioncitysailors star last night! #SPL #GameOn
cc: @FIFAcom Puskas Award panel pic.twitter.com/F4IqKzd3gg
— Singapore Premier League (@SGPremierLeague) April 25, 2021
It was a goal that left the crowd at the Hougang Stadium in stunned silence for a moment. But a collective gasp of wonderment soon followed once fans finally processed the moment of magic they had just witnessed.
The 69th minute goal, which was reminiscent of Papiss Cisse’s wonder strike for Newcastle United against Chelsea in 2012, was enough for the Sailors to clinch all three points as Aurelio Vidmar’s men ran out 1-0 winners over the Cheetahs.
That such a magnificent goal proved to be the winner was apt – against a tight and compact Hougang side, the Sailors had struggled to create clear-cut chances against the home team all throughout the game.
It needed something special to break down the stubborn Hougang defence. And Diego was more than happy to provide it.
Reflecting on Diego’s wonder goal, Sailors captain Hassan Sunny praised the Brazilian for stepping up to the plate when it mattered.
Said Hassan: “It was a very good goal. With the quality that he has, he is always capable of scoring these kinds of goals, so you know it’s not a fluke.
“The whole team knows how important it is that Diego plays at his best, because he can win games for the team. This goal against Hougang showed us just why he is worth so much.”
Last night’s victory over Hougang was especially significant for the Sailors, given that they had lost 1-3 to the same opponents at the Jalan Besar Stadium a month ago.
While underlining the importance of getting one over Hougang – who had started the match level on points with the Sailors – Hassan also highlighted that defensive solidity played a huge role in the victory.
“It’s a massive three points,” Hassan, who made several fine stops to keep a clean sheet last evening, declared. “And it is always tough to play Hougang at their home ground. They were very compact and defensively solid, so we had to be very patient with our attacks.
“We have also improved defensively in the last few games. But it’s not just the backline that deserves praise. The entire team did their part to defend last night, starting from Stipe (Plazibat) and Diego, so it was hard for Hougang to break us down too.
“So, while we lost to Hougang back in the first round when we were not at our best, I’m very happy that we managed to get the win over them this time.”
With the victory, the Sailors moved to the top of the table for at least 24 hours – Albirex Niigata who are also on 17 points, but with a game in hand, take on Balestier Khalsa on Sunday evening. The Sailors’ next match, in two weeks’ time on May 9, at the Jalan Besar Stadium, will see them take on Geylang International.
While the Sailors could be bumped back down to second by the time they face Geylang, Hassan believes the team can draw confidence from the fact that they had reached the summit.
“I think we deserve to be at the top with the way we have been playing, and the form we are in,” Hassan explained. “Having reached the top will definitely give us more confidence going into our next game.
“For now, though, it’s a good break for us, so we can continue to work more in training on the areas that we need to improve on.”
Welcome back, Sailors fans
Up to 250 fans will be able to watch Singapore Premier League (SPL) matches live from April 24 without the need for any Covid-19 test, in accordance with guidelines set out by Singapore’s multi-ministry taskforce.
The Lion City Sailors are set to visit Hougang United on the day these measures come into force, and Sailors CEO Chew Chun-Liang is excited at the prospect of playing in front of fans once again saying, “Football is about fans and we cannot say enough about how excited we are to be able to play in front of our fans once more. We cannot wait for Saturday and we must commend the Football Association of Singapore and Sport Singapore for their hard work to allow this to happen.”
A total of 50 complimentary tickets will be available for Sailors fans on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to 2020 and 2021 LCS season pass holders. Holders of the 2020 and 2021 season pass can redeem one ticket per pass from the Lion City Sailors representative at the ticket counter of Hougang Stadium from 6.30pm on matchday.
Should there be unredeemed tickets, non-season pass holding Sailors fans may obtain their tickets from 8pm onwards, subject to availability.
Fans will also be subject to safe distancing measures at all match venues, and are encouraged to arrive early to avoid congestion. They will also have to adhere to guidelines set out in the advisory by Sport Singapore on Safe Resumption of Sport & Physical Exercise For Phase Three.
All SPL matches will still be live streamed on the league’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel, as well as on 1 Play Sports’ Facebook page.
Ticketing details for the Sailors’ home game against Geylang International on May 9 will be released soon.
Stay up to date with all the news via our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!
They have yet to turn 18, but yesterday evening at the Jalan Besar Stadium, both Aniq Raushan and Glenn Ong were thrown into the deep end against a tough Balestier Khalsa side for their Lion City Sailors debuts.
It was, in effect, a sink or swim situation for the pair – would they be able to handle the demands of top-level football at such a young age?
By the time Glenn and Aniq walked off the pitch after being substituted in the 69th and 77th minute respectively, the answer was clear: yes, they can.
Confident, energetic and tactically disciplined, the duo looked right at home with their senior teammates as the Sailors romped to a 4-1 win over the Tigers.
“I thought they performed very well,” said Sailors head coach Aurelio Vidmar.
“Both Aniq and Glenn trained with the senior team for most of the pre-season, so they fit in seamlessly today. We were always pretty confident with them (in the team), and I thought they had solid debuts.”
The level of maturity Aniq and Glenn showed was remarkable, especially considering neither had played many 11-aside games in a year hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition, the two players were only drafted back into first-team training towards the end of last week, and Aniq – a centre-back by trade – was deployed in a somewhat unfamiliar position at right-back.
“I told them early on that they were going to play, and overall, I think they both handled it very well,” said Aurelio. “Aniq has a lot of athletic attributes and did a very serviceable job there at right-back, while Glenn, a central midfielder, is a good passer of the ball.
“They both are obviously inexperienced, and they hadn’t played too many competitive games this past year due to Covid-19, so it was quite normal they were going to get fatigued at some stage in the second half.”
When asked whether Aniq and Glenn were in line for more first-team outings this season, Aurelio simply replied with an emphatic: “Yes, that would be an affirmative.”
While both Aniq and Glenn impressed in their debuts, it was left to the senior players to lead the way against Balestier, as goals from Gabriel Quak (6’), Shahdan Sulaiman (18’), Stipe Plazibat (47’) and Saifullah Akbar (51’) set the home side on their way to a crucial three points.
It was yet another imposing performance from the Sailors, who restricted Balestier to just two shots on target while they managed 10 of their own.
“We focused on making sure that we controlled the game and the tempo. We did that for the first 24 minutes, and then they got a goal against the run of play. “But we kept our heads, kept cool, and continued the same in the second half and scored some fantastic goals, some great team goals, so that was very pleasing,” said Aurelio reflecting on the Sailors’ approach to the match.
“It was always going to be a tricky game against Balestier. They’re a tough opponent and relatively different to most of the other teams. They’ve got some very handy players, but I think we managed the game well.”
With the win, the Sailors move up to second in the table on 14 points, just three behind current league leaders Albirex Niigata (S).
The Sailors are unbeaten in four matches – including a memorable 8-0 victory over Geylang International last weekend – since the international break in March.
This is in stark contrast to the Sailors’ first three matches of the season, which saw them win once, draw once, and lose once – a 3-1 defeat to Hougang United.
But the Sailors will get a chance to make amends for that result when they face the Cheetahs this Saturday, 8.30pm, at the Hougang Stadium.
“They’ve (Hougang) had a very strong season to start and we had a difficult time against them last month,” Aurelio mused. “You can talk about revenge but for me, it’s not that. We’re going to go out there and treat it like just any other fixture where all we want is to try and get maximum points.”
It may have taken six Singapore Premier League (SPL) games for Diego Lopes to open his account for the Lion City Sailors, but the Brazilian made sure it was all worth the wait as he scored a well-taken hat-trick to help his team to an 8-0 Singapore Premier League (SPL) win over Geylang International yesterday.
Inventive, sprightly, and full of drive, it was a well-rounded performance that showcased just why the Sailors opted to make him Singapore’s first multi-million dollar footballer in January this year.
It is still early days for Diego in his voyage with the Sailors and Singapore football, but if he wants to establish himself as among the best foreign players to play in the SPL, then he need only look to his Sailors teammate Stipe Plazibat for inspiration.
Since making his debut in the SPL – then known as the S.League – in 2016, Stipe has grown from strength to strength and is now regarded by his peers and fans alike as one of the most potent strikers in the league.
Following his two goals against Geylang last evening, Stipe’s goal tally in the league now stands at 70 – a fantastic return, considering the Croatian is now only into his fifth SPL campaign.
But the 31-year-old, who won the SPL Top Scorer award last season, is not about to rest on his laurels any time soon. The ambitious Stipe revealed he has set his sights on hitting the 100-goal mark in the SPL.
“It feels good to hit the 70-goal mark, but I’ve actually set 100 goals (in the SPL) as one of my career targets,” said Stipe. “My two goals (against Geylang) brought me closer to that figure, but I still have to grind and continue working hard.
“For now, though, I’m quite happy with my (goal) figures, especially considering that I didn’t always play as a striker in the SPL. More importantly for me is that I can ultimately help the Sailors win silverware.”
Stipe’s dream of helping the Sailors win silverware could well be realised sooner rather than later if the team continues to play the way they did against Geylang.
Ruthless, disciplined, and efficient in possession, the Sailors overwhelmed the Eagles with goals from Diego (3), Stipe (2), Gabriel Quak (2) and Saifullah Akbar doing the damage.
After a mixed start to the season – which saw the Sailors win twice, draw twice and lose once in their first five games – Stipe is confident that this huge victory will galvanise the team as they look to mount a sustained challenge for the SPL title.
“To be honest, we needed a result like this,” admitted Stipe. “This will have a positive impact on the team for sure, and be a huge boost in terms of team chemistry and confidence.
“We also played well in previous games, but today, everything just went our way. That’s why the result is so impressive.”
Stipe also reserved words of praise for hat-trick hero Diego. Said Stipe: “The whole team and I are happy that he scored today. People expect a lot of him and he is under huge pressure, so it’s great that he got the goals.
“On a personal level, it’s a joy to link up with him because he sees and understands my runs, which is a dream for any striker.”
The Sailors will next take on Balestier Khalsa this Sunday, 8.30pm, at the Jalan Besar Stadium. While Stipe believes the Tigers will be a tough test, he knows it is imperative that the Sailors get another win.
“They are a solid team, and never easy to go up against,” Stipe mused. “Still, anything less than three points against would be a failure for us, because it’s important that we build up some momentum after our Geylang win.”
A new date has been set for the Lion City Sailors’ Singapore Premier League (SPL) away clash against Hougang United.
The match, which was initially pencilled in for May 19, has now been rescheduled to April 24 (Saturday), 8.30pm.
The Sailors and Hougang both agreed to the rescheduling that was made to allow the Singapore National Team more time to prepare for the Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023.
You can view the Sailors’ updated fixture list here.
The news that up to 250 fans will be allowed into stadiums to watch Singapore Premier League (SPL) games starting from this weekend has been met with great enthusiasm by everyone at the Lion City Sailors.
Following the news, Sailors CEO Chew Chun-Liang expressed his excitement at the prospect of seeing Sailors fans back in the stands again after more than a year.
“I think I speak for every Sailor when I say we are all eagerly looking forward to the return of fans to the stadium,” said Chun-Liang.
“We have sorely missed the presence of our fans supporting us from the stands.”
According to an announcement by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on Wednesday (Apr 7), fans who wish to attend SPL games will have to produce proof that they have tested negative for Covid-19 – either of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or antigen rapid test (ART) – or show the certification of having received the full two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The PCR test must have been taken within the last 14 days from the date of the game, while the ART must be taken within 24 hours prior to end of the event. Meanwhile, individuals who have been vaccinated will only be admitted if the date of the match falls at least two weeks after their second dose.
Fans who are eligible to enter the stadiums can obtain a wrist tag at dedicated booths that will be set up at each match venue. This tag – which will be unique to the match – will allow the fan to enter the venue 60 minutes before kick-off.
All fans who enter the stadium will be subjected to both safe-distancing and security protocols. It is advised that fans do not bring bags when attending the matches.
From April 24 onwards, however, up to 250 fans will be allowed into match venues without the need for testing, as per the Covid-19 guidelines announced by the multi-ministry task force on March 24.
“I know for a fact that the players are very excited to be able to play in front of a live crowd once again, and they are especially eager to entertain all our loyal fans who have been supporting us even when they haven’t been able to come to matches,” said Chun-Liang
“Huge credit to the FAS and everyone who was involved in helping to facilitate the return of fans as well. We’re fully appreciative of their hard work and dedication to make this happen.”
Details for entry to the Sailors’ home game against Balestier Khalsa on April 18, 8.30pm, at the Jalan Besar Stadium, will be released soon.
Having seen his side fight back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw against reigning Singapore Premier League (SPL) champions Albirex Niigata (S), one might have expected Lion City Sailors head coach Aurelio Vidmar to be a happy man once the full-time whistle was blown at the Jalan Besar Stadium last night.
But he was far from pleased with the final result.
The Australian firmly believes that the Sailors should have beaten Albirex, especially considering the golden opportunities – including having a penalty saved – they had in the game. And he admits his side only have themselves to blame for allowing Albirex to take a two-goal lead in the first place.
“We made it difficult for ourselves giving them a two-goal lead,” Aurelio conceded. “We did that to ourselves last year as well, and we lost that game (a 3-2 defeat). This time, we thankfully managed to get a draw.
“But on the balance of things, we probably should have gotten the win tonight. We had two or three very good chances that we didn’t put away, whereas the first time they (Albirex) really went forward, they got a corner and scored.”
Both the goals that the Sailors conceded came from corners – Shuya Yamashita broke the deadlock in the 17th minute, before he popped up again three minutes before the break to double his side’s lead.
While Stipe Plazibat pulled one back for the Sailors with a header on the stroke of half-time, it took nearly all of the second-half for Aurelio’s men to get the equaliser, with Jorge Fellipe rising highest to head home Naqiuddin Eunos’ cross in the 87th minute.
Reflecting on Jorge’s contribution to the team since his debut against the Young Lions the past weekend, Aurelio said: “I think Jorge’s performances in the two games he’s played so far were very good.
“You can definitely see tonight that it was not easy to be back up after three days, especially when he’s just had his first match last weekend. He showed a very calm head, he’s very aggressive and he is strong with the ball at his feet and also in the air.
“We also can see he has an enormous appetite for fighting his way through things. Look at the way he pushed himself forward to score the equaliser. That shows you the character that he has as well.”
The draw against Albirex means the Sailors are now fourth in the table on eight points after five matches. The current league leaders, Albirex, are just three points ahead of the Sailors, while Hougang United and Tampines Rovers are second and third respectively on 10 points.
While the result extends the Sailors’ winless streak against Albirex to three matches, Aurelio insists that statistic is not something that will keep him awake just yet.
“I’m not concerned (about the winless streak against Albirex),” said Aurelio. “Had we not got a point, had we lost the game, then it would have been a little bit different. But right now, it’s still very close in the table.
“Of course, if you want to win the championship, you have to win games. You can say there’s no room for draws or losses, but it’s going to happen. No one wants it to happen, but there’s going to be days where it won’t go your way.
“At this point, however, I think we’re still playing some very good football but not getting maximum points. But once we get into the second round, it’ll become even more important for us to win the games (against our title rivals) if we want to be champions.”
Up next for the Sailors is a clash against a Geylang International side that has struggled for consistency – they have recorded one win, one draw, and three losses – this season.
Nonetheless, Aurelio expects them to put up a fierce battle when the Sailors come calling at Our Tampines Hub this Sunday, 5.30pm.
“For now, we have to recover, refocus, and get our energy up again and go into battle again on Sunday against Geylang,” said Aurelio. “They haven’t been hitting their stride this season, but they’re a dangerous opponent, so it’s going to be a difficult game against an opponent we have to be wary of.”
Given that the Lion City Sailors scored nine and conceded none against the Young Lions over two games last season, many had expected last evening’s Singapore Premier League clash between the two sides to be a cakewalk for Aurelio Vidmar’s men.
But the Young Lions are a different entity this season. Organised, adventurous, and unafraid to go toe-to-toe with the big boys, Philippe Aw’s side have proven themselves to be a handful in each of their three previous games, drawing twice and losing just once.
And so, coach Aurelio’s message to the Sailors was simple: make sure you play to your very best.
It was a message that each and every Sailor on the pitch at the Jalan Besar Stadium took on board, putting in a professional and disciplined performance to record a 3-1 win over the Young Lions.
Midfielder Saifullah Akbar, who notched an assist in the game with a delightful through ball for Gabriel Quak to score in the 62nd minute, revealed that the entire team was fired-up to get the three points right from the get-go.
“The Young Lions have been a decent footballing team this season, so every one of us knew it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park,” said Saifullah. “The message was very clear. We had to compete, fight, and perform at our highest level individually and as a team in order to get the three points.
“It was especially important for us to get the win after our loss to Hougang (United) in the previous game. It would’ve put us in a very tough situation in the league if we did not get the three points, so I dare say today’s game was almost as crucial as a cup final.”
It took 27 minutes for the Sailors to break the deadlock through Gabriel Quak, before Stipe Plazibat doubled the advantage just seven minutes later.
Gabriel effectively made the game safe with another goal after the break, but the Sailors then went down to 10 men after Amirul Adli was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 76th minute. Two minutes later, Ilhan Fandi pulled one back for the Young Lions to make the final stages of the game a nervy one for the Sailors, but they held firm despite their numerical disadvantage to secure the win.
One noticeable aspect of the Sailors’ game was how much more measured they were in attacking the Young Lions, and Saifullah believes this ‘patient’ approach paid dividends at both ends of the pitch.
“We did well in terms of keeping possession for a longer period of time,” the 22-year-old mused. “For the previous three games, I felt even with the lead, we rushed to get forward to try and get three, four goals to kill the game. That caused us to concede a few goals during quick transitions, because our players weren’t close enough as a group to stop the opposition’s attacking play.
“Against the Young Lions, however, we were very patient and retained possession well even when we were leading. We made sure our shape was intact, kept playing, and eventually we were rewarded with the second and third goals.”
Last night’s game was also notable for the debut of new signing Jorge Fellipe. The 1.92m-tall centre-back was a calm and composed presence in the Sailors backline throughout, and even came close to opening his account with a first-half header that crashed off the crossbar.
Reflecting on how Jorge performed in his first outing with the Sailors, Saifullah had nothing but words of praise for his Brazilian teammate.
“Jorge brings a different kind of experience to the team. He’s a big asset for us not only at set pieces, but also in building up play from the back,” said Saifullah. “He did really well for us in his debut today – his positioning, covering and passes were all spot-on.”
With Hougang recording a surprising 5-1 win over Tampines Rovers in the night’s other SPL game, Saifullah knows there will still be more twists and turns in this year’s title race. As of Saturday night, the Sailors are currently second in the eight-team table on seven points after four games, just two points behind league leaders Hougang.
And ahead of the Sailors’ next match against Albirex Niigata (S) on Wednesday, 7.45pm at the Jalan Besar Stadium, last season’s SPL Young Player of the Year claims his side are eager to send a clear statement of intent with victory over the reigning SPL champions.
“Everyone knew this season was going to be an exciting one with every team making great signings,” said Saifullah. “And with the current standings and results, it looks like it’s going to be an open and unpredictable season, which is great for the league.
“For now, though, we’re focused on our upcoming game against Albirex. We lost twice against them last season despite playing really well and being on top of them for most part of both games. But we made errors and they punished us.
“But we’ve learnt from our mistakes and we won’t commit them again. I’m confident we will put up a good performance and get all three points against Albirex on Wednesday.”
