FAS Extends Contracts Of Technical Director And National Coach

SINGAPORE, 13 MARCH 2017: The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) today announced that Technical Director Michel Sablon and National Coach V. Sundram Moorthy have signed two-year extensions to their respective contracts.

Mr Lim Kia Tong, President of the FAS Provisional Council, said: “Since his arrival two years ago, Michel has been working relentlessly to further improve our footballing standards – with a key focus on three areas: grassroots, youth and coach education. In May last year, we unveiled a blueprint which comprises 11 key components and specific plans aimed at creating a top-class training environment which will in turn facilitate the development of quality players for our National Teams.

“Almost a year on, we have achieved good progress in these areas, including coach education and a revamp of youth competitions, among others. It will be a long but rewarding journey as we strive to further enhance the standards of Singapore football, and we are very pleased to have extended the contract of Michel – who is undoubtedly one of the best Technical Directors in the world – for the next two years. Our management will continue to fully support and work closely with Michel as he continues to strengthen the foundation of Singapore football and achieve further progress in the key components of our ecosystem.”

Mr Lim added: “We have also extended the contract of Coach V. Sundram Moorthy who will lead the Lions in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2019 final-round qualifiers which will kick off later this month. Despite Sundram not achieving the target of a semi-final berth at the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup 2016, we believe he should be given another chance to prove himself. We will support Sundram fully and we expect the Lions to secure a top-two placing in Group E of the AFC Asian Cup 2019 final-round qualifiers and qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2019 which will be held in the UAE.”

Mr Sablon said: “One of FAS’ key strengths lies in its leadership and management team, which is visionary, knowledgeable, committed and commands great respect in the international football community, including FIFA and AFC. Apart from having committed and capable colleagues in the management team, I am also happy that top quality and experienced coaches, including Richard Tardy and Christophe Chaintreuil, and specialist coaches such as Frederic De Boever (Goalkeeping) and Balder Berckmans (Physical Education), have joined our Technical Department to provide value-add and expertise. Together with the likes of (Head of Coach Education) Mohamed Basir Ellaya Kutty, Fandi Ahmad and V. Sundram Moorthy, these coaches are part of our strong technical team which will play a key role in training our coaches and players.

“In fact, the observation about FAS having capable and visionary men at the management and technical levels was also highlighted by FIFA President Gianni Infantino three months ago. It is important to me that I’m working with a quality and fully supportive management team which shares the same vision and long-term targets. Therefore, I am very happy to have signed an extension to my contract which will also allow me to continue this long-term project which we started just two years ago.”

He added: “I am also thankful to the FAS Council and key stakeholders for their support, without which we would not have been able to implement changes and launch new programmes successfully. However, we will not rest on our laurels; instead, we will work even harder to convince other partners to come on board and join us on this journey. We are on the right track and I am confident that our youth teams will be able to compete with the likes of Japan and Australia within the next five years – but only if we receive the full support from the various groups of stakeholders.”

Mr Sundram Moorthy said: “Since my appointment last May, the FAS Council and Management have been extremely supportive and I’m deeply grateful for their trust and confidence in me. The success of any Football Association should not be restricted to the performance of the National Team alone. In this regard, the FAS has achieved significant progress and recognition in other key footballing areas such as coach education, grassroots, leadership and management, among others. It has been less than a year since I returned to the FAS setup and it’s heartening to see how they are constantly seeking to enhance the level of professionalism both on and off the pitch.

“As a Singaporean, it’s an honour to coach the National Team and I am very happy to have extended my contract. I am determined to lead our Lions to success during the AFC Asian Cup 2019 final-round qualifying campaign and I look forward to the support of our partners as we continue to develop and grow this sport to its full potential.”

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE

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