Support the Lions through thick and thin, former Singapore football coach Raddy Avramovic urges fans

SINGAPORE: If there is one man who knows what it takes to win the ASEAN football championship, it is 75-year-old Radojko "Raddy" Avramovic.

He hoisted the regional trophy three times as head coach of the Singapore team – first in 2004, and then in 2007 and 2012.

The Serb is the only coach in the history of the tournament to have won it three times.

Twelve years on from Singapore's last triumph, Avramovic is still fondly remembered and recognised.

"I spent 10 years (in Singapore), it was a big part of my life," he told CNA on Sunday (Dec 15). "It is (a second home)."

Along with a number of his former players and former fitness coach Aleksandar Bozenko, Avramovic was introduced before Singapore's match against Cambodia at the National Stadium.

The loudest roar was reserved for the legendary head coach.

Invited back as part of an initiative by ex-players such as former Lions striker Aleksandar Duric and supported by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), Avramovic is in Singapore for the first time since 2019.

"Forget about results, I have more satisfaction when I see those boys. I knew them as kids, they are now grown people, serious people and a lot of them stayed (in football)," he said.

Since Avramovic stepped down in 2012, the Lions have yet to make the final of the tournament, which is now known as the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup.

The Lions' fortunes have waxed and waned, as regional rivals usurped Singapore as the powerhouse in the region.

But the message from Avramovic to the fans remains the same – get behind the team.

"They should come to support their team, (it) doesn't matter against who they are playing," he said.

"That way, it can give more confidence to the players, the players will feel a lot more relaxed, a lot easier to deal with everything on the field. Because they know the supporters are behind them."

This means backing the team even during lean spells, Avramovic said.

"It's easy to say: 'This player makes this mistake'. After a game, everyone is clever – too clever," he added.

"I don't think any player makes a mistake in a game that he is happy with what he did. That is the moment when you need to help him that he doesn't make (that mistake) again.

"There will be period when they cannot win, they will draw, they lose. But support them, give them (a) chance."

It is easy to get behind a winning team, he added.

"There's no point saying: 'Yeah, I support Singapore when they are winning'. It's easy," said the former head coach.

"They need that help when not everything is right, that's when they need that support. And I think this team needs that support."

A total of 12,391 fans showed up to support the Lions against Cambodia, which surprised Avramovic.

"You need to support your team," he added.

"THEY HAVE GOT THE RESULTS"

The Lions have registered a solid start to their campaign, with a 2-1 win over Cambodia before beating Timor-Leste 3-0.

They are currently second in Group A, behind Thailand on goal difference. The remaining team in the group is Malaysia.

A win against Thailand on Tuesday will send Tsutomu Ogura's men through to the semi-finals.

Should Singapore lose to Thailand but draw with Malaysia on Friday, they would still go through. Two draws in the remaining fixtures will also see the Lions progress.

"I think they have (a) chance to go to the next round," said Avramovic. "What happens after, that's a different story."

Avramovic added that it is tough to pass judgment on how the Lions have played in the first two games, given that he was not privy to how preparations have gone.

"I don't want to be the one talking about something and don't know what is behind the situation," he explained.

"I can only comment on the results. I think they have done good, they have got the results."

More than talent, it takes good team chemistry for a side to win the title, he said.

"It's very important that there is chemistry between players. They must feel (that they are playing) as a team," he said.

"If you don't build that team spirit, you cannot do it. You can win some games ... but something (like a) trophy, not really."

Avramovic recalled how nothing was expected of his side at the 2004 edition of the tournament.

"When we went to Vietnam, nobody expected us to do anything. We came back as winners," he recalled. 

"EVERY DAY IS A NEW DAY"

A former goalkeeper who played for the likes of Notts County, Avramovic's nine-year stint in Singapore saw him win Coach of the Year at the Singapore Sports Awards in 2008 and voted AFF Coach of the Year in 2013.

He went on to helm Myanmar in a short stint, before returning to Singapore five years ago to take a job as head coach of Home United (now Lion City Sailors).

But Avramovic had to step down from his post shortly after as he was diagnosed with lung cancer and returned home for treatment.

Five years on, Avramovic said he is doing well.

"Everything is fine. I don't have any treatment or anything (now). Everything has already passed," he revealed.

"In life, you never know what can happen. I'm not really upset about this happening or that happening. (I am) taking life as it comes. Every day is a new day, and that's important."

Back home, Avramovic is involved in other pursuits.

Having always loved nature and the mountains, he bought a plot of land about a 10-minute drive from his home in Čačak, Serbia. These days, that is where he can be found.

"Every day you go there and you see something different," he said.

But it is never easy to stay away from the sport.

Avramovic is no longer involved in football in a formal capacity but continues to help out at his hometown club Borak Čačak in his free time.

"I have many friends there, and they always ask me for opinions, or to guide them ... I just really like to help. This means I go to watch all those games," he said.

"You always stay in football."

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