Can Forrest Li replicate Sailors' success on national level?

Optimism is rising within the local football fraternity with the arrival of Forrest Li as the new Football Association of Singapore president on April 28.

The Lion City Sailors chairman has charted considerable success for the Singapore Premier League (SPL) side and there are hopes that the billionaire can replicate the same outcome at the national level.

Albirex Niigata Singapore general manager Koh Mui Tee said the commitment of "rich and influential" people like Li to improving local football will inspire confidence.

He said: "Forrest is a resourceful man, so hopefully he and his new team can do more things for Singapore football. With Sea Limited, he runs a successful international business, so I don't think running Singapore football in a small country will be a big problem for him.

"The Sailors are doing things right by getting all the facilities and right human resources for their club, so I hope they can translate this to the national level."

Former Tanjong Pagar United player Sudhershen Hariram, who is now a lawyer, agreed, and felt that Li's corporate shrewdness, combined with his experience in running a successful SPL side, will stand him in good stead.

"Forrest has shown a willingness to get the best people involved while also giving them the space to do what they are good at.

"With the right people making the decisions and with his willingness to involve and rely on the right expertise to carry out the decisions, I think we have reasons to be optimistic for the future."

Under Li's leadership, the Sailors have been making waves since their introduction in 2020, as they won the SPL in the following year and the Singapore Cup in 2023. They are odds-on to win the league again this season and have reached the AFC Champions League Two final.

While they went through several coaching changes, they have spent well on beefing up the team with imports such as Maxime Lestienne, Bart Ramselaar and Bailey Wright, who have shone on the Asian stage.

Albirex's Koh wants to see the FAS make an effort to strengthen the SPL by enhancing its competitiveness and balancing the clubs' and national team's interests.

He said: "For example, when the national team want extra training or an overseas tour, the league has to adjust its schedule to suit them, and there can be a few weeks' gap, which is like another pre-season for us.

"The clubs would like to continue to support the national team. But not at such an expense that our schedule is compromised, our players are not conditioned properly, which could lead to injuries and is not good for either party."

Another item on his wish list is the abolition of the current stadium-sharing plan, so that clubs can "build their own identity and fan base and find potential income opportunities" - such as running facilities like futsal courts, conduct grassroot coaching courses or run the Singapore Youth League.

Also, to gradually wean the clubs from their reliance on handouts, he suggested the provision of subsidies based on meeting attendance or sponsorship-related KPIs.

He added: "I believe FAS should equip SPL clubs to get the best coaches. Currently, youth coaches get paid more if they join ActiveSG Football Academy or School Football Academies over the SPL centres of excellence.

"How can the professional clubs attract the best coaches if they have better offers at grassroots level?"

Likewise, Singapore Football League (SFL) clubs are also looking to Li and his new FAS council for a leg up.

GFA Victoria coach Harman Ali felt SFL teams have been "neglected" as they have been receiving $8,500 in annual subsidies for the past eight years.

He also took issue with the shortage of pitches for SFL teams to train on, which he felt has resulted in the competition becoming "a retired players' league" and a "higher-quality social league".

The new FAS will have its work cut out as academy owners are also asking for attention.

Flair Football Academy founder Ibrahim Chemad said: "Set KPIs for academies and prioritise those who achieve objectives - such as participation in local and overseas tournaments, and overseas stints for youths - and reward them with pitch allocation and seed money to support them."

However, there remains reservations from some on the ground.

Former Kembangan United chairman Albert Ng is concerned about how Li will have time for Singapore football "because he needs to take care of his company first", while others in the council such as Sean Bai and Arivan Shanmugaratnam will be based overseas for work and studies respectively.

He said: "Doing well at the club level doesn't mean that he will do well at the national level. It's two different kinds of handling and managing."

He also felt that the FAS should focus more on the national teams, coach education and referees, adding: "The FAS should leave the running of the SPL to (national football project) Unleash the Roar, and just commission and sanction the games."

One thing that most observers ST spoke to agreed on is the call for the new council to be open and transparent in their decision-making and communication with stakeholders.

Sailors fan Eddy Hirono would like to see stakeholders consulted and pulled together in the same direction, while lawyer Hariram added: "I would like to see open and regular communication from the FAS, not just in the good times but also in the times where we may not be performing as well as we would like.

"This regular communication will build a bond and trust with the fans as they will feel involved and heard."

• Additional reporting by Melvyn Teoh and Samuel Tan