Lion City Sailors project ‘very clear and ambitious’ for new head coach Jesus Casas
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Lion City Sailors new head coach Jesus Casas during a training session at the Sailors' Mattar Road training centre on Feb 27.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
- Jesus Casas joined Lion City Sailors as coach, citing their clear project and ambition after turning down other offers.
- The former Iraq coach was also hoping to return to daily club training. He plans to improve the players and Singapore football.
- He makes his Sailors debut in an SPL match against Albirex Niigata on Feb 28.
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SINGAPORE – Despite offers from suitors such as the Honduras national team, Jesus Casas opted for Singapore Premier League (SPL) champions Lion City Sailors
The 52-year-old Spaniard, who was appointed as their new head coach on Feb 23, said in an interview with The Straits Times at the Sailors’ Mattar Road training centre on Feb 27: “Here with the Sailors project, the training centre, the country, I think this is the right time.
“In some clubs, I didn’t find the right people or the project wasn’t very clear.
“Here the project is very clear. We have a very good (training facility), very good players, and the club is ambitious for the future.
“Personally, I feel that I can be important here and I can help to improve the development of football in Singapore.”
The former Iraq coach has been tasked with building on the Sailors’ domestic success and improving their performances on the continental stage next season.
Casas, who signed a contract till the end of the 2027-28 season, replaces Serbian Aleksandar Rankovic, who left the club on Feb 6
His 2½-year stint yielded an SPL title, three Singapore Cups and a run to the 2024-25 ACL2 final.
Casas was also one of the front runners for the Singapore national team job.
He had flown in for face-to-face talks with Sport Singapore and Football Association of Singapore officials in August 2025, before Gavin Lee got the nod three months later Lions seal historic Asian Cup qualification
Although Casas missed out on the Singapore job, he believes his research for the role will help him at the Sailors.
He said: “We were talking with the association, but obviously Gavin Lee did a great job, he deserved to continue coaching the national team.
“I am very clear on the level of some of my players, like Hami (Syahin), Hariss (Harun) or Lionel (Tan), so it is easier for me, but we need more training sessions with them to have more information.”
During his Iraq stint from November 2022 to April 2025, Casas led the Middle East side to several creditable performances, most notably at the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar, where they beat tournament favourites Japan 2-1.
He was also previously assistant coach of English side Watford in 2018, when the Hornets were playing in the English Premier League.
Later that year, Casas joined the Spain national team as an assistant coach under current Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique.
When asked what he missed most, after being out of club coaching for eight years, Casas said: “One of the reasons (why I signed) was that I wanted to train with the players every day, in the dressing room and on the pitch.
“Working with a national team is amazing, but sometimes you miss the daily work.”
Casas was previously linked with the Sailors in 2022, when the role was vacant, but chose to join Iraq then.
Asked what the club lacked during Rankovic’s tenure, Casas said: “It’s impossible to say one thing, maybe with the same points in another year, you qualify for the next round (of the AFC Champions League Two).
“So we need to analyse each match, each player, the present situation… In the future, we’ll see. But now we need to focus on the league, and it is the most important for us because it’s the only competition we have right now.”
Casas has had two training sessions with his players and is “feeling good” ahead of his SPL debut against third-placed Albirex Niigata at the Jurong East Stadium on Feb 28, as he urged his men to get his stint off to a winning start.
Victory would help the Sailors regain their seven-point cushion atop the table ahead of BG Tampines Rovers, who beat 10-man Hougang United 3-0 at Our Tampines Hub on Feb 27 with goals from Hide Higashikawa, Koya Kazama and Trent Buhagiar.
Albirex coach Keiji Shigetomi believes they have gained confidence from their record of five wins in their last six league matches, but are well aware that they have not achieved anything yet.
“The Sailors are unbeaten and one of the most complete teams in the league. However, we also believe strongly in the style and identity we’ve been building,” he said.
Tanjong Pagar United v Balestier Khalsa (March 1, 8.30pm, Jurong East Stadium)
The Tigers will be looking to make it three wins on the trot as they take on the Jaguars, who have only four points from 11 games as they lie seventh in the eight-team table.
