Replies to Forum ● Feb 19, 2013
FAS is transparent and accountable in decision-making
We thank reader Mr George Quek for his views (“FAS right to rebut Fandi’s accusations”, Feb 15).
The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is grateful for the strong and unstinting support that football enjoys among Singaporeans, including Mr Quek. We appreciate Mr Quek’s call for fans to give us time and support to fulfill our responsibilities in working for the best interests of Singapore football.
FAS will always strive to work with the utmost professionalism. We are transparent in our dealings with our stakeholders, and we are ready to be held accountable for our decisions, including the appointment of the national coach.
We are not sure how some critics insisted that it was certain that the-then national coach Raddy Avramovic was not going to renew his contract. While it would not be appropriate for us to disclose the details of the confidential discussions between the FAS and Mr Avramovic, including the commencement and duration of such talks, it suffices to say that both parties had always been focused on the AFF Suzuki Cup and had also openly indicated that any other issues will be discussed and decided only after the competition.
As noted in our press release dated Dec 28, several candidates had expressed their interest for the position of National Coach over the past few months. We added that we could only formalise our arrangement with Sports Recruitment International after Mr Avramovic and FAS mutually agreed not to renew his contract. To do so any earlier would be unprofessional, and would have placed undue distractions during the Suzuki Cup campaign. The results of that tournament have vindicated our approach, and we sincerely hope that critics will understand the rationale behind our decisions.
Having said that, we are heartened by the feedback and support we have received on this issue so far. Like Mr Quek, many agree with FAS that we should not rush the process, especially since the next national coach will be tasked to build on the successes achieved by Mr Avramovic and bring Singapore football to the next level.
FAS seeks the continued support of our stakeholders, which is key to our successes. While we are encouraged by FIFA’s assessment that we have progressed well in most of the nine areas spelt out in the Strategic Plan, we must and we will continue to work hard and secure the necessary resources so as to fulfil the goals in other key areas.
