Lion City Sailors sign former Ligue 1 forward Matthias Phaeton from CSKA Sofia
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Guadeloupe international Matthias Phaeton had turned down an offer from Turkish second-tier side Bursaspor to make the move to Singapore.
PHOTO: LION CITY SAILORS
Henry Choong
- Singapore Premier League champions Lion City Sailors have signed Matthias Phaeton on a three-year contract from Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia.
- The 26-year-old, who can play on the wings or as a central striker, has had stints in European football with French and Swiss sides, and represents Guadeloupe on the senior international level.
- He is relishing the challenge and hopes to help the Sailors improve on their performances from last season in the AFC Champions League Two and ASEAN Club Championship.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – The Lion City Sailors have beefed up their attacking options with the signing of French-born forward Matthias Phaeton from Bulgarian top-tier side CSKA Sofia, the Singapore Premier League (SPL) champions announced on July 28.
With a wealth of experience playing in European leagues under his belt, the 26-year-old joins the Sailors on a three-year contract ahead of the 2026-2027 SPL season, which is scheduled to kick off on Sept 11.
No fee was disclosed but Phaeton had turned down an offer from Turkish second-tier side Bursaspor to make the move to Singapore, where he hopes to make an impact with his new team.
“From the first conversations with the Sailors, I could feel the ambition and the project they are building here,” he said.
“The club has big dreams and is doing everything possible to push the boundaries and take football in this country to the next level. It’s a challenge that really interests me, and I’m excited to create history in Singapore.”
Capable of operating as a left winger or central striker, Phaeton arrives at the Sailors after having spent the previous season on loan at Swiss Super League side FC Zurich, scoring eight goals in 27 appearances.
He had made a name for himself playing in France, where he made 86 appearances in Ligue 2 for Guingamp and Grenoble from 2018 to 2023. The attacker also featured in four Ligue 1 games for Guingamp in the 2018-2019 season.
Phaeton then made the move from Grenoble to Sofia, where he notched nine goals and eight assists.
He also made two appearances for the Bulgarian side in the UEFA Conference League qualifying round in 2023, when they eventually fell to Romania’s Sepsi OSK.
On the international stage, Phaeton has featured for France’s Under-16 and U-17 teams, but opted to represent Guadeloupe at the senior level from 2021, scoring 12 goals in 34 matches for the national side, a member of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football.
On the team’s brand new signing, Sailors head coach Jesus Casas said: “Matthias is a player we’ve been following closely, and we’re delighted that he has decided to join us despite receiving other offers from Europe.
“He brings valuable experience from European football and key qualities to the style of play we want to build.
“Most importantly, he has the ambition and determination to contribute to what we’re building here. We believe he’ll settle in well to life in Singapore and make a real impact in our attack.”
Phaeton is the latest addition to the Sailors squad, after the signing of 23-year-old Singapore forward Ilhan Fandi on July 20.
They join three other Singaporeans – full-back Ryhan Stewart and wingers Farhan Zulkifli and Glenn Kweh – as well as Brazilian defender Hugo Gomes, who all arrived at the club earlier.
As the Sailors look to do better in the AFC Champions League Two and ASEAN Club Championship in the coming season, Phaeton is relishing the challenge ahead.
“I know the expectations at this club are very high. We have to go out and try to win every game, while also producing strong performances in Asian competitions,” he said. “I enjoy that kind of challenge, and I’ll do everything I can to help take this club to another level in the region.”
Dive into all the sporting action and trends in Singapore with ST’s weekly newsletter.