Category: News
Singapore national team head coach Tatsuma Yoshida has called up nine members of the Lion City Sailors to be part of a series of training sessions this March.
This includes first time call-ups for three Sailors: Defenders Tajeli Salamat and Nur Adam Abdullah, as well as 2020 Singapore Premier League Young Player of the Year, Saifullah Akbar.
That two of the three new call-ups are in the U-23 category is a testament to the commitment to youth shown by Sailors coach Aurelio Vidmar.
“We are very proud of Nur Adam and Saifullah for getting a chance to be involved with the national set up, and have full confidence that they, along with the rest of the Sailors who have been called up, will do themselves and the club proud,” said Vidmar.
“It is proof of the hard work they have continually put in to be recognised with the call-up, and we hope they are the first of many younger players who progress from the Sailors to the national side.
“We as a club are fully committed to youth development, and will continue to expose our U-23 players to as much playing time in the first team as we can.”
Singapore Sailors
Hassan Sunny, Amirul Adli, Nur Adam Abdullah, Tajeli Salamat, Shahdan Sulaiman, Saifullah Akbar, Hafiz Nor, Gabriel Quak, Faris Ramli
The Lion City Sailors suffered their first defeat of the season on Saturday, Mar 20, falling 1-3 to Hougang United at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
The Cheetahs stunned the Sailors with quick-fire goals from Lionel Tan (19’) and Tomoyuki Doi (21’) in the first-half, before Doi added a third for the visitors 14 minutes after the break.
Stipe Plazibat pulled one back for the Sailors in the 85th minute, but it proved to be nothing more than a consolation goal for Aurelio Vidmar’s men.
With the Sailors coming into the game off the back of a convincing 5-0 win over Tanjong Pagar the preceding Wednesday, many had expected them to carry on in their fine form and pick up all three points against Clement Teo’s side.
But Hougang came out firing on all cylinders right from the start, and coach Aurelio admitted that his side failed to match up to their opponents’ intensity on the day.
“Hougang were super organised, super aggressive in the first-half and we just didn’t match that,” said Aurelio. “We should have been aggressive from the very first minute, but instead, we were very reactive in the first-half. We were always second to the ball, and Hougang, to their credit, were very good.
“I thought we created enough chances in the second half to make the scoreline a little more respectable. But having said that, Hougang still thoroughly deserved to win on the day.”
The pain of this defeat was clearly etched on Sailors’ faces after the game, but Aurelio has backed his players to get over this setback and come back stronger.
He said: “It’s never easy when you lose a game. But we had a chat afterwards and spoke about being positive. It’s one loss and at some stage it would have happened during the course of the season. Good teams always find a way to bounce back, and that’s what we’ll be looking to do.
“This will be a tricky week because we lose several players to the National Team so we won’t have the majority of our players. But I have every faith in my team to be able to come back stronger from this.”
With one win, one draw and one loss after the first three games of the season, Aurelio has labelled his side’s start to the campaign as “mixed”.
But the Australian is not too fussed about the Sailors’ failure to record maximum points from the three games.
“We played well in our first two games,” Aurelio reflected. “We should have had the win against Tampines because we had very good one on one chances in that game. Obviously, the game against Tanjong Pagar was good as well.
“So yes, we’re a little bit short on the points that we wanted, but it’s a long season still to go. There’s a lot of football left to be played, and we just have to be better moving forward.”
The Sailors will be back in action again on April 3, when they take on the Young Lions at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
Goals, goals and more goals. These days, it seems that whenever Song Uiyoung plays, he is more than likely to hit the back of the net.
Song’s brace in the Lion City Sailors’ 5-0 thumping of Tanjong Pagar United on Wednesday night (Mar 17) puts him at the top of the club’s scoring charts this season, with three goals to his name so far.
More impressively, it also took his goal tally to 12 in his last 12 outings for the Sailors – a run that stretches back to the team’s 4-0 win over Geylang International last October. It is a remarkable feat, considering that the South Korean is not deployed as a forward for Aurelio Vidmar’s outfit.
And while plaudits might go to Song for getting his name on the scoresheet, he would much rather give the credit for the goals to his teammates.
“Yes, I feel good about this record (of scoring 12 in the last 12 games), but I really have to appreciate my teammates for giving me all the good passes,” said Song.
“Individually, it’s a good start to the season for me. Now I just need to keep scoring and do my best to keep the good momentum going for the team.”
Since arriving in Singapore with Home United in 2012, the 27-year-old has gradually evolved into one of the most accomplished midfielders in the Singapore Premier League (SPL).
In the last couple of years, he has developed a knack for producing smart, first-time finishes in the box.
That was how he converted Haiqal Pashia’s low cross in the Sailors’ season-opening 3-3 draw with Tampines Rovers last weekend – a goal similar to the one he scored in the Sailors’ 3-0 win over Geylang towards the tail end of last season, when he calmly guided home Adam Swandi’s assist.
“Before matches, we always practice our attacking moves so that’s how the goals came about,” Song revealed. “It was the perfect assists from both my teammates – their crosses were so good that all I needed to do was make sure I was at the right place to score.”
Given his goal scoring prowess, it may come as a surprise to many that Song does not prioritise finishing during training sessions. Instead, his main focus still remains on being a creative outlet for the team.
“I’m a midfielder so I try to focus a lot on providing passes,” he explained. “Sometimes I will try to practice a bit of finishing. I never really put in extra work on it because it’s not a priority for the position I play in.”
Song’s best-scoring season was back in 2018, when he netted 20 goals across three competitions for Home United as they achieved a second-place finish in the league and became ASEAN zonal champions in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup.
With the Sailors set to compete on three fronts – the SPL, the Singapore Cup and the AFC Cup – he hopes to surpass that tally this season.
“I’ve already scored three, so I have 17 more to go!” he quipped. “Of course, I want to try to improve my record from 2018, and I have every confidence in my ability to do so.
“But I’m not too stressed about it, because I know we have strikers who are capable of scoring goals. The most important thing is the team’s result.”
Having brought in a multi-million dollar signing in former Benfica midfielder Diego Lopes, while also assembling a squad full of current and up-and-coming Singapore internationals, the Sailors are understandably under pressure to deliver some form of silverware this year.
Nonetheless, Song is relishing the ‘positive’ pressure that comes with representing the club, even as he looks forward to pairing up with Lopes on the pitch. The latter is pushing for a first start after impressing as a second-half substitute in the win over the Jaguars.
“Everyone in the team knows the level of expectations on us. We just have to focus on our individual jobs and believe in what we can achieve as a whole,” he said.
“The attitude and team morale has been very good from day one. You can see everyone is really happy to come in and work with each other every day.
“Diego really helped the team a lot when he came in (against Tanjong Pagar)…he was controlling the tempo of the game and contributed a lot of passes. I feel we already have a good understanding on the pitch. He’s a top professional who can really bring the best out of the players around him.”
Next up for the Sailors is a huge clash against title hopefuls Hougang United at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday evening.
The Cheetahs have reinforced their ranks after a disappointing 2020 season in which they finished sixth out of eight teams. The likes of Tomoyuki Doi, Khairul Nizam, Gilberto Fortunato, as well as Sailors old boys Shahril Ishak and Kaishu Yamazaki, all made the move to Hougang Stadium during the off-season.
And Song says he is looking forward to a reunion with his former teammates, as the Sailors seek a second straight win to close out the month of March before the two-week international break.
“Shahril and Kaishu are very nice people…we enjoyed a very good relationship with each other and I still catch up with them on social media sometimes,” he shared. “Now, I’m really looking forward to competing against them.
“Everyone in Singapore knows what a legendary player Shahril is. I learnt a lot from him when he was my teammate, so I’m sure he will be a key player for Hougang.
“Hougang are a much different team as compared to last season, but we just have to focus on how we play and stick to our game plan to get the three points.”
You can catch the Sailors taking on Hougang at the Jalan Besar Stadium this Saturday, 5.30pm, either on SPL’s Facebook page or YouTube channel.
For Faris Ramli, scoring the fifth goal in the Lion City Sailors’ 5-0 win over Tanjong Pagar United in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) last evening was more than just about getting off the mark for his new club.
After winning a penalty at the Jurong East Stadium in the 83rd minute, Faris – who joined the Sailors from Malaysian side Terengganu in the off-season – took the ball and placed it on the spot, determined to take the spot-kick himself.
The 28-year-old made no mistake, as he sent Tanjong Pagar goalkeeper Fashah Iskandar the wrong way and placed the ball into the bottom corner.
Nonetheless, there were eyebrows raised over Faris’ insistence on taking the penalty, especially with team-mates Song Uiyoung and Stipe Plazibat both on a hat-trick. New signing Diego Lopes, who came on as a substitute in the second half, was also seen speaking with Faris before the spot-kick was taken.
Faris, however, explained that he was especially keen to get on the scoresheet yesterday as he wanted to dedicate a goal to his late uncle.
“Getting a goal today was very crucial for me personally, as my uncle had just passed away last Monday. I really wanted to score so I could dedicate the goal to him and his family,” Faris revealed.
“Yes, Diego also wanted to take the penalty, but he gave it to me in the end because he understood that I wanted to take it for my late uncle. Overall, though, I’m happy to have got my first goal after coming back to play in the SPL.”
While the 5-0 scoreline might indicate a one-sided affair, it was anything but. The first-half, in particular, saw the Jaguars keeping things tight at the back, and both teams were unable to break the deadlock by half-time.
Faris believes the introduction of Diego at the break gave the Sailors added attacking impetus, but also pinpointed Stipe Plazibat’s 47th minute penalty – awarded after a Tanjong Pagar defender was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box – as the pivotal moment in which the game turned on its head.
“I believe the first goal was very important for us to open up their tactical defensive shape,” said Faris. “But each and every player also stepped up really well after the first goal, and that was a big reason behind our other goals on the night.
“As for Diego, he really performed well on his debut with us. He came in and immediately gave us more attacking options and creativity (in the final third).
“It feels great to be playing in this team because there is always a hunger and desire to go forward and win the game. Now, it’s just for us to ensure that our form will be consistent throughout the season.”
After two games, the Sailors currently find themselves second in the table on four points, two points behind league leaders and reigning SPL champions Albirex Niigata (S).
The Sailors will next take on Hougang United at the Jalan Besar Stadium this Saturday at 5.30pm. Faris knows that the Cheetahs, who beat Geylang International 4-1 on Wednesday (Mar 17), will not be easy opponents.
However, he is confident that with morale in the Sailors camp on a high, they will be able to get all three points against Hougang.
“Hougang will definitely be a difficult game for us,” Faris admitted. “But the morale of the team was already on a high when we came into this game (against Tanjong Pagar), and with the victory, we are now feeling even more confident for the game on Saturday. The boys all want to win the game so that we can head into the upcoming international break on a positive note.”
Last Saturday (Mar 13) was an evening filled with mixed emotions for Amirul Adli as he pulled on the Lion City Sailors (LCS) shirt for the first time.
Making his Sailors debut obviously gave him immense joy and pride, while the three goals conceded in a 3-3 thriller with former club Tampines Rovers in their Singapore Premier League (SPL) season opener gave the young centre-back valuable lessons to reflect on.
Looking back on that eventful game in which the Sailors let slip a two-goal lead in the second half, Adli knew he and the rest of the backline could do better.
“It was our first game together, so there is room for improvement in certain areas. In my opinion we conceded quite soft goals – we know we can definitely do better,” said the 25-year-old.
“It’s obviously best not to concede, but I’m taking those goals as a reminder for us defenders to be more vigilant in such situations. Nonetheless it was a good overall performance from the team and it’s a big honour for me to make my debut for LCS.”
Under the tutelage of coach Aurelio Vidmar, the Sailors have morphed into a side that plays an attractive brand of possession-based football, and that was a key reason why Adli was signed in the off-season. With his ability to carry the ball out of defence and make forward passes, he is able to complement the team where he can feed the array of attacking options available to the Sailors, including the likes of Song Ui-Young, Gabriel Quak and Faris Ramli.
Having seen the scintillating football that the attackers can produce, Adli is already loving life with his new team despite being just one game in.
“Coach Aurelio’s tactical approach for the team is something which I really admire. We really push forward and not sit back to play a normal possession game,” he elaborated. “The team’s way of playing really complements my style… It’s easier for me to bring the ball out from the back and pass it forward to the attackers.
“Of course, on paper we’ve the best attackers in the league. From the back, I can really see how we link up and it’s really enjoyable to see. I’m sure the attackers will be more clinical as the season goes on.”
While it is just a few months since he joined the Sailors, Adli said that he already feels pretty much settled in and that is down to the presence of international teammates like Hassan Sunny, Shahdan Sulaiman and ‘good friend’ Adam Swandi.
He is looking forward to the prospect of linking up with experienced Brazilian defender Jorge Fellipe, as well as star compatriot Diego Lopes.
“Both Diego and Jorge have played high-level football, especially Jorge who has played in Asia. He’s tall, strong and also fast… he’s a guy who will obviously take the level of our backline up another level and any defender in the Sailors will feel really secure playing beside him,” said Adli.
“His English is quite OK for now… He’s a cheerful and happy person who’s really easy to get along with, I don’t think it’s hard to link up with him. This off-the-field chemistry will surely translate onto the pitch and I’m looking forward to him making his debut.”
Adli also has his sights set on being a lynchpin of the Singapore national team under Tatsuma Yoshida and securing a spot in the year-end AFF Suzuki Cup squad.
But for now, his primary focus to play consistently well at club level and the next immediate task is to help the Sailors get their first win of the season when they face last season’s bottom side Tanjong Pagar United away at Jurong East Stadium on Wednesday (Mar 17).
While the new-look Jaguars outfit were edged out 2-1 in their first outing against Geylang International, the level of performance and presence of quality players like Blake Ricciuto, Reo Nishiguchi and Khairul Amri suggest that they could provide a serious threat to any team in the league.
“Of course, Tanjong Pagar is not a team to be taken lightly, given the new signings that they made,” said Adli. “Everyone in Singapore football knows how a prolific poacher Amri is, so we must do well to guard him as well the rest.
“They’ll obviously be hyped to meet us, but we’ll also be hungry to get our first win. It’ll definitely an interesting battle.”
On paper, last night’s 3-3 draw against fellow title contenders Tampines Rovers in the first match of the 2021 SIngapore Premier League (SPL) season was not a bad result for the Lion City Sailors.
However, the manner in which the draw was played out at the Jalan Besar Stadium would have left the Stags the happier of the two sides, and the Sailors rueing what might have been.
After all, the hosts found themselves in the driving seat for the majority of the game after taking an early two-goal lead through Song Ui-Young and Gabriel Quak.
Tampines defender Madhu Mohana pulled one back for his side in the 19th minute, before Gabriel restored the Sailors’ two-goal advantage 13 minutes after the break.
But two quick-fire goals from Tampines captain Yasir Hanapi midway through the second-half saw the visitors draw level. Both the Sailors and Tampines had golden opportunities late in the game to clinch all three points, but neither side was able to take them, and they ultimately had to settle for a point apiece.
While Gabriel acknowledged that Tampines deserved praise for fighting back to earn the draw, the 30-year-old admitted that it still felt like ‘two points dropped’ for the Sailors.
“It was very disappointing not to have gotten the three points to start the season,” said the reigning SPL Player of the Year.
“Credit to Tampines because it’s never easy to fight back from two goals down, but personally for us, I felt like it’s two points dropped because of the commanding position that we had found ourselves in.
“But both teams threw caution to the wind, and from a spectator standpoint, I think you can’t ask for a better game. Hopefully, this will excite fans and draw more interest to the league.”
When asked to pinpoint where he thought the Sailors got it wrong last night, Gabriel mused: “I felt at 3-1 up, our mistake was not slowing the game down. Instead, we tried to still go neck to neck with them, which ultimately played into their hands, since they were the ones who needed to chase the game.
“But our game has always been attacking based, so we weren’t going to sit back and park the bus. So overall, I think our performance can’t be faulted, especially when you consider that this is only the first game of the season and we’ve had only one pre-season friendly under our belt.”
On a personal level, however, Gabriel was pleased to have started this campaign where he left off last season – among the goals.
Gabriel, who recorded five goals and seven assists last season, said: “It definitely feels great for me to start the season with two goals. After last year’s achievement [of winning the Player of the Year award], I knew a lot was on my shoulders to deliver for the team.
“So, I’m just glad to open my account early in the season to get going, and also to repay the faith from the management. Nonetheless, it would have been much sweeter for me if we had also managed to get a win.”
The Sailors will next take on Tanjong Pagar United this Wednesday (March 17), 7.45pm, at the Jurong East Stadium.
Excitement is building in the air with the new Singapore Premier League (SPL) season set to kick off this weekend.
Last year, the Sailors enjoyed an encouraging first campaign as they displayed a swashbuckling style of football en route to finishing third in the league.
This year, Aurelio Vidmar’s men are looking to take a couple of steps forward as they target a first-ever SPL title.
The Sailors have made several notable signings in the off-season to bolster their squad, with former Benfica midfielder Diego Lopes being the star acquisition. His experienced Brazilian compatriot, Jorge Fellipe, also comes in to shore up a defence that only kept four clean sheets in 14 games last season.
While the duo only started training with the Sailors last month, Aurelio foresees them making a swift impact on the team.
“Both of them started training four to five weeks after the rest so of course they’ll be a bit behind,” said coach Aurelio. “But they’ve been doing conditioning work to get themselves ready and also learning a bit of English as well.
“They’re now getting a clearer understanding of our playing style and what the team requires of them, so I don’t see an issue with them fitting in with the team.”
The Sailors also recruited exciting young local talents in the form of Nur Adam Abdullah and Amirul Adli to strengthen the core of the team. And, from what he’s seen of them so far, Aurelio believes both players have what it takes to succeed with the Sailors this season.
“Nur Adam is an exciting young talent and he will fill our left-back position,” said the former Socceroos captain. “While he’s still young, he has got the mentality and attitude to go to a higher level. He always wants to learn and is taking things in on a daily basis, so I look forward to a great year from him.
“Adli – we obviously got him in to strengthen our backline. He’s still rather young, but already has a lot of playing experience so he will be an asset to the team.”
New signings aside, the Sailors have retained the bulk of their 2020 squad for the coming season. This includes the likes of captain Hassan Sunny, Gabriel Quak, Shahdan Sulaiman, and hotshot striker Stipe Plazibat.
After missing last season’s run-in due to injury, Plazibat is now raring to go to make up for lost time, and Aurelio is certain the Croatian will finish among the league’s top scorers again this year.
“He missed the last few games, but he still finished as the (club’s and league’s) leading goal scorer. Injury is part and parcel of football, so he has nothing to prove to anyone,” said coach Aurelio.
“He’s a proven goal scorer everywhere he goes. As long as he gets the required service from the team, I see him finishing as one of the leading scorers again.”
With Covid-19 restrictions still in place, the Sailors, along with the rest of the teams in the SPL, have had to tweak their pre-season preparations.
For example, the Sailors were only able to play one friendly match this pre-season. The match, played last weekend, saw the Sailors beat the Young Lions 3-1.
Nonetheless, Coach Aurelio has seen enough positives in training to feel confident that his team can live up to the tag of being ‘title favourites’.
“It’s the same for every team (to play only one friendly match) and we’ll need a couple of games to get into gear,” he explained. “But it’s an encouraging sign to see that the competition for places has been fierce. Everyone’s motivated and doing well, so it’s definitely a good headache.
“We as a team have to live up to this challenge (of being title favourites). Since the privatisation of the club last year, everyone is obviously going to talk about us so we can’t take a soft or lazy approach to go about our work. It’s important that we go through the processes and be ready to turn up every week to perform. If we do, then obviously we can be ahead of everyone else and have a successful year.”
The SPL fixture list has drawn up a mouth-watering opening game of the season for the Sailors, pitting them against last season’s league runners-up Tampines Rovers. The Sailors suffered a heavy 4-0 loss to the Stags in the early stages of last season, before attaining a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture.
While coach Aurelio acknowledges that his side will face a ‘big’ challenge for the SPL title from Gavin Lee’s men, he believes the rest of the chasing pack are also capable of usurping them to finish near the top.
“It’s always a difficult game against Tampines – they have a very good footballing style and a number of good players,” said coach Aurelio. “But then again, every game is difficult. Look at what the others like Tanjong Pagar (United) and Hougang (United) have done over the off-season – they have massively improved.
“No team is going to have a bad season and sit there not doing anything to change things. So, I expect a much tougher season than the last one.”
You catch the Sailors’ opening match of the season against Tampines Rovers tomorrow, 5.30pm, LIVE on the Singapore Premier League Facebook page.
On the first anniversary of its founding, Lion City Sailors announce the appointment of former Silver Generation Office (SGO) Director of Operations and an ex-Navy Officer, Chew Chun-Liang, as the club’s first Chief Executive.
Chew has demonstrated strong leadership and management capabilities during his time with SGO and also in his 23 years as a Naval Officer with the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), where he played critical leadership roles in setting up and operationalising new capabilities such as the rolling out of the Merdeka Generation Package outreach and driving the RSN frigate’s capabilities. His experience in leading high performing teams puts him in good stead to enhance the management and operations of the club, building out the systems and structure in line with the Lion City Sailors’ vision of representing excellence on and off the pitch.”
From a macro perspective, the 44-year-old is charged with operationalising the Sailors vision of excellence: A successful professional football club that is home to an elite hub of youth development. This includes putting in place a structured ecosystem combining the operations of the LCS Football Academy and the club proper, as well as implementing a pathway starting from young grassroots footballers through to the elite senior squad.
Chew’s targets also include the engagement of the football fraternity and the wider Singapore public, aimed to spark pride in local football.
“Chun-Liang’s management and leadership capabilities were evident from all that he has accomplished in the various aspects of his work. But more than that, his deep connection to Singapore football and what it means to Singapore and Singaporeans make him an ideal candidate for the Sailors,” said club Chairman Forrest Li.
LCS CEO Chew grew up in a time when the likes of Fandi Ahmad, V Sundramoorthy and David Lee made a fortress of the old National Stadium. Attending every single home game, through relegation to the second tier of Malaysian football in 1992 and the pride of winning the Malaysia Cup in 1994, were key facets of Chew’s youth.
“We want to make a real difference in the football fraternity in Singapore, so understanding where we came from is important in keeping us grounded as we target excellence and professionalism,” added Li.
The new CEO’s top priority: Oversee the proposed LCS integrated training facility that will, when completed, become Singapore’s first fully functional training centre. The facility will feature five pitches (two 11-a-side and three 7-a-side), changing rooms, a gym, and also include facilities for sports science and medicine, video analytics, and study rooms for Academy scholars in the Elite Development Programme.
In addition to facilities that cater to both the professional team and the youth Academy, the proposed facility will include a viewing area for the public, a café, as well as programmes curated for community football.
“We’re focused on becoming an elite development hub and developing the ecosystem here that will embrace the community and also Singapore’s Goal 2034 dream. We want to put Singapore on the world football map, and this facility will play a key role in that, even bringing more vibrancy, and build greater cohesiveness in our community,” added Li.
“We’ve established a good platform in 2020, and we want to continue to break new ground for Singapore football. We’ve only just begun, and we are committed to staying on this path.”
Chew’s deep connection to Singapore’s football history is partly why he is delighted to be part of a project aimed at driving an era of excellence in Singapore football.
“I’m delighted to be a part of a visionary organisation that is already moving to make real and tangible improvements in our football fraternity, moves that can reignite excitement in the Singapore game,” said Chew.
“The club’s vision is one of football excellence, but it is also about bringing back the visceral excitement that we all felt in our bones when the sport was Singapore’s lifeblood. Instead of turning our eyes back to glory days of the past, our hope is that we can all now look to the future with anticipation.
“My job is to help bring the LCS dream to life, and inspire big dreams in young aspiring footballers – and I’m wildly excited.”
The club is in advanced talks with authorities, and works on the proposed training facility is on track to kick off later this year, and projected to complete a year later, in 2022. Chew is determined to see the project through and welcome the drastic changes that its opening will herald.
“I’m excited about the facility that will become the new home of the Sailors, where our young talents hone their craft, and elite seniors work hard to win trophies. It will also be a facility that will have its open doors to football community programmes,” said Chew.
“This facility is aimed at driving not just LCS efforts in youth development and on-field success, but also to help lift the football community in our country. We’re determined to make sure this project not only gets off the ground, but can fly.”
Since Chew’s appointment, the Sailors have made moves to boost the club on and off the field.
Diego Lopes, 26, has been signed for a Singapore Premier League record $2.9 million from Portuguese top-tier side Rio Ave. The Brazilian midfielder is joined at the club by his countryman Jorge Fellipe, a 32-year-old defender who joined from Saudi Arabian side Al-Tai. The transfers are aimed at strengthening the Sailors’ roster as the team embarks on its maiden Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup tournament in 2021.
The Sailors have made moves to improve in new areas, with sports medicine partnerships and the establishment of a sports science department already in the pipeline.
Chew is chomping at the bit. He said: “I was in the Navy for more than two decades in the past, and I’m excited to be a Sailor again. Every sailor in LCS plays an important role in this exciting voyage. With ‘all-hands-on-deck’, I believe my crew is charged-up to sail the club through uncharted waters and succeed.”
The Lion City Sailors have taken the next step towards the vision of being Singapore’s – and ultimately the region’s – premier club, by acquiring top-quality foreign signings in Brazilian duo Diego Lopes and Jorge Fellipe.
Midfielder Lopes was signed from top-flight Portuguese outfit Rio Ave for a fee of €1.8 million (S$3 million), and will join the club on a three-year contract. The 26-year-old, who came through the Benfica youth system, has established himself in the Portuguese league as a goalscoring midfielder with superb technical ability and an eye for a killer pass. His creativity and goal threat from the middle of the park will help to raise the Sailors’ game to the next level as the club looks to challenge for honours on all fronts in 2021.
“I am delighted to join the Lion City Sailors’ ambitious project to become one of the top teams in Asia,” Lopes said. “It was not an easy decision for me to leave Rio Ave and the Portuguese league, and I thank the fans for their support throughout the years that I was at the club.
“I felt like the time was right for a new challenge in my career, and this opportunity afforded to me by the Sailors was one I could not turn down, and I look forward to being part of a team that consistently challenges for honours not only in Singapore, but also in Asian competitions.”
Fellipe, who plays primarily as a centre-back, joins the Sailors from Saudi Arabia side Al-Tai on a one-year deal. The 32-year-old is an experienced professional who has played in top leagues across the globe throughout his career, including the Brazil Serie A and the Portuguese Primeira Liga. Calm and assured under pressure, Fellipe will add steel and experience to the Sailors’ backline, while also ensuring that the team is able to continue along coach Aurelio Vidmar’s philosophy of playing out from the back.
Speaking about his decision to join the Sailors, Fellipe said: “Having played in many different leagues, and faced different styles of football in my career, I’m intrigued and excited at the prospect of testing myself in this part of the world – especially at a club that wants to break new ground.
“I look forward to linking up with my new teammates soon. I’ve watched some clips of how the team plays, and I believe that I’ll be able to slot in perfectly with them. From what I understand, the football here is very competitive, but I am confident that I’ll be able to adapt well and help the Sailors achieve their lofty goals this season.”
The decision to acquire the two players was made after an extensive search for the right foreign signings to strengthen the Sailors and elevate their football to the next level, this after a third-place finish in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) last year.
While the Sailors made waves in the SPL by playing an entertaining brand of football – finishing top scorers in the league in the process – the club was ultimately unable to achieve the goal of winning the title.
Head coach Aurelio Vidmar strongly believes that both Lopes and Fellipe will give the Sailors the push the team needs to hit their targets.
“We had very specific characteristics for the sort of players we wanted,” explained Aurelio. “We wanted top-quality players with excellent technical ability, and who were comfortable with playing a possession-based game.
“Both Lopes and Fellipe fit the bill perfectly, and that is why the club has decided to invest in them. It is a clear sign of how serious the club is in getting to the top, and we are glad to welcome both players to the team.”
Fellipe, who arrived in Singapore last week, and is currently serving a 14-day quarantine, should be available in time for the start of the SPL season. Lopes, who has already completed his medical, is still in Portugal while waiting for his Employment Pass to be approved.
Club chairman Forrest Li believes the Sailors’ two new signings will provide a huge boost to not just the Sailors, but the local football community as a whole.
“Having top-quality players like Diego and Jorge play in the SPL will give us the boost that we need, but more than that, they will hopefully give Singapore football a lift,” said Li. “I hope they will help reignite interest in the SPL and give football fans in Singapore more reasons to tune into the local game.
“We are pleased that the two of them have agreed to join the club, and we look forward to seeing them excel on the pitch. For Lion City Sailors this is only just the start. We’ve only just begun our journey to transform the Sailors into a premier club, and reignite Singapore football.”
The Singapore Premier League (SPL) may have only just concluded, but Lion City Sailors head coach Aurelio Vidmar has already set his expectations out for the coming season.
And the Australian made no bones about what he expected to see from his charges next year: progress and evolution.
The Sailors were unable to achieve their target of winning the league title this campaign, finishing five points behind champions Albirex Niigata (S) in third.
While Aurelio still graded the Sailors’ season a “big pass”, he made it clear that he expected more from the team next year.
“We have to see improvement for next season, and we have to progress and evolve,” Aurelio declared. “That’s what we’ll be doing, trying to strengthen the team across the board.
“We set this year as the time for us to get an understanding of what we’re doing, and I think we’ve got a good foundation. All of the clubs had the hiccup with the Covid-19 situation that put everyone on the backfoot.
“But I think we came out of that period well, and so I would rate our season overall a big pass.”
Aurelio revealed that of the most pleasing aspects of the Sailors’ season was their ability to find the back of the net – they finished as the highest scoring team in the league with 44 goals, and only failed to score in just one match.
He said: “It’s great to see us scoring that many goals. What’s more, I think we scored more than a dozen goals in the final 10 minutes games, so that showed we have a very good level of fitness which allowed us to keep pushing to the last minute.
“But the highlight for me would be to see the progress we’ve made as a team, from when I joined the club last December to the end of the season. That, as a whole, was very pleasing.”
The Sailors were the big winners at the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) awards night, with Gabriel Quak being named the SPL Player of the Year, Saifullah Akbar winning the Young Player of the Year, and Stipe Plazibat bagging the Top Scorer award.
In addition, a total of five Sailors – Gabriel, Stipe, Song Ui-Young, Kaishu Yamazaki and Tajeli Salamat – were named in the SPL Team of the Year.
Aurelio, however, was keen to emphasise on the importance of the collective. He explained: “I don’t like to talk about individual players, but I think it’s clear there are many players throughout the season who have done very well, and some of those guys have rightly won awards. But there are many others who have impressed as well, but just don’t get the accolades.”
By virtue of finishing third in the SPL, the Sailors will be granted entry into next season’s AFC Cup.
And Aurelio has set his sights on winning the regional competition, along with becoming SPL champions and lifting the Singapore Cup.
“As always with the SPL and the AFC Cup, we’re looking to win it,” Aurelio said. “Every competition we enter, we want to be one of the teams that think they can win it. It’s no different for the AFC Cup, although we’ll have to wait and see where we are in terms of the pots and where we are in terms of who we’re playing, and how that whole format is going to pan out because at this stage we’re not really sure.
“But it will be a huge challenge for everyone as it’s going to be a long, tough season with the Singapore Cup, SPL and the AFC Cup.
“But we’re determined to win every competition, so I told the players before they went on their break that they should enjoy the rest with their families and friends, because next year we’ll be working even harder to achieve our goals.”
