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Football: FAS unveils Bernd Stange as new national coach, on two-year deal

After five months without a coach, the Singapore national football team is set to be trained by 65-year-old German Bernd Stange (above), who will be unveiled by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) at Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday, May 15,
After five months without a coach, the Singapore national football team is set to be trained by 65-year-old German Bernd Stange (above), who will be unveiled by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) at Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, evening. -- NP FILE PHOTO: ZAIHAN MOHD YUSOF

German Bernd Stange, 65, has been unveiled by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) as the new national coach.

His appointment, for an initial two years, was revealed at a press conference at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Stange has a wealth of experience in coaching since starting as a youth coach with East German club Carl Zeiss Jena in 1970. He led the former East German national team from 1984 to 1988.

He is also the ex-head coach of German clubs Hertha Berlin, Lokomotive Leipzig and Carl Zeiss Jena and Ukrainian clubs CSKA Kiev and Dnipro.

In Asia, he guided the national teams of Oman (2011) and Iraq (2002 to 2004). His last coaching job was as the national coach of Belarus from 2007 to 2011.

Stange replaces Raddy Avramovic, who led the Lions to three Asean Football Federation Cup victories (2004, 2007 and 2012). Under the Serb's charge, Singapore were also one point away from qualifying for the 2011 Asian Cup Finals.

The 63-year-old Avramovic served Singapore from 2003 to the end of last year, when his contract expired.

In a protracted search, several big names such as former Leeds manager David O'Leary, ex-China coach Arie Haan, Mario Beretta (ex-Parma), Peter Taylor (ex-England), Lawrie Sanchez (ex-Northern Ireland) and Benito Floro (ex-Real Madrid) were linked to the job.

Stange's first assignment could be the Causeway Challenge against Malaysia on June 4 and 7. After that, the Lions will play Oman on Aug 14 in an Asian Cup qualifier.

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