Unity breeds success, says former Lions coach Raddy Avramovic

SINGAPORE – Radojko “Raddy” Avramovic is Singapore’s longest-serving and most successful football coach, having led the Lions in over 100 matches and to three Asean titles.

But, for the 75-year-old, there is no greater fulfilment than seeing his former charges grow and develop into people with good character.

He told The Straits Times: “I used to see them as players, and now I see them as grown men with family and kids.

“I have full satisfaction when I see that they are right people in a good way.”

Avramovic and former national football fitness coach Aleksandar Bozenko are in town from Dec 10-19 at the invitation of Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and former Lion Aleksandar Duric.

On Dec 11, they and other former Lions received a warm welcome in front of 12,391 fans before Singapore’s 2-1 Asean Championship win over Cambodia at the National Stadium.

Avramovic said: “That’s a really nice gesture, it feels good to be back and see all those boys.

“I still keep in touch with many of them through WhatsApp and I will follow Singapore football and watch their highlights on YouTube.”

After that, he met FAS vice-president Teo Hock Seng for lunch with former players like Khairul Amri, Noh Alam Shah, Ridhuan Muhammad, Baihakki Khaizan, Nazri Nasir, Rafi Ali and Hasrin Jailani.

“It was really nice, we talked about the past. But when you start to talk like this, it means you’re f****** old,” said a laughing Avramovic.

The former Yugoslavia national goalkeeper played in Serbia, Croatia, England and Canada, and is regarded as a legend at Notts County, for whom he played in the English Second and First Division.

After hanging up his gloves, he coached the Oman Under-23s and Kuwait before coming to Singapore in July 2003 and kick-starting an era of unprecedented success based on local-born youths and foreign talent.

In just under a decade, he delivered three trophies. But the one he savours most is still the 2012 Suzuki Cup triumph, following success in the 2004 and 2007 editions.

He felt there were qualities that are still relevant and should be replicated in the national team.

He added: “I was really happy we built good relations with players and we felt like a united family and that was very important. The 2012 Suzuki Cup showed that.

“In that period, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia had good teams. Thailand had the best players but we beat them over two legs in the final, this means as a team, we were better. The last one was special and gave me the most satisfaction.”

There were also setbacks and regrets, with his lowest point the missed 2011 Asian Cup qualification, in which Singapore lost 2-1 to Jordan in their final group game when a draw would have been enough to seal a historic qualification.

Avramovic stepped down after winning the 2012 Suzuki Cup and worked in Myanmar and Kuwait, before he made a return to Singapore in 2019 to coach Home United.

However, the stint would be short-lived as he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

He underwent successful surgery and the cancer is now in remission. These days, he spends time with his wife and two cats at home in Cacak, where he advises his former team Borac 1926.

His son Ivan used to work in Singapore and has moved to Lisbon, Portugal.

Cheekily, Radojko noted that while his 16-year-old London-born grandson has stopped playing football to pursue other interests, he has another 11-year-old grandson who is showing promise as an attacker and is eligible to represent the Republic as he was born in Singapore.

The future generation of Singapore football remains a matter close to his heart.

After paying a visit to the Lion City Sailors Training Centre, he noted: “It is unbelievable, a big change from the old Geylang Lorong 12 field the national team trained at for years.

“There are more academies and facilities now, and more choices in terms of number of players. In the long term, Singapore can benefit from this.

“There is always talent out there, I believe that. The important question is how are the federation and coaches going to guide them.”

He is also urging fans to get behind their national team.

He said: “From what I have seen in the few recent matches, they have done well to keep their discipline and shape.

“Maybe they are a little bit tight and tense, and don’t play as freely as they should. But we also need to remember they are also missing a few players like Song Ui-young and the Fandi brothers (Irfan, Ikhsan and Ilhan), who can make the difference.

“There will always be critics, and anyone can write anything and attack players on the internet. But I said this in my time as coach too, that Singaporeans should go for all their games and give their players confidence, and not only when they play Japan or South Korea.”