SINGAPORE – The white smoke that was released during the trophy presentation had barely dissipated, but Singapore Premier League champions Lion City Sailors cannot help but feel a tinge of disappointment amid the celebrations on the final day of the season.
On May 17, BG Tampines Rovers put a damper on the Sailors’ festivities with a come-from-behind 3-2 victory at Our Tampines Hub to inflict a second consecutive loss on the champions.
It was a result that allowed the Stags to pip Albirex Niigata to second spot by two points in the eight-team SPL and, in the process, secure an Asian Champions League 2 play-off berth.
The loss also meant that the privatised Sailors have failed to win any of the three matches against their closest rivals in the league, who finished just two points behind them.
Their two previous encounters ended in draws.
Sailors captain Hariss Harun summed up the sentiment of his team when he said after the game that he felt a sense of dissatisfaction.
Hariss, 35, said: “Obviously we want to show why we are champions, but it was not to be.
I thought we did well enough, but somewhere in the second half, I think we just lost the grip of the game a little bit, and then they scored two quick goals.
“We are still champions, but I just don’t like the feeling after losing two games in a row.
I think everyone in the club should feel that way.
But we have plenty to celebrate about being champions so we’ll take that, but definitely in terms of mentality, in terms of being dominant, in terms of many other things, we have a lot to improve on.” The Sailors sealed back-to-back SPL titles for the first time with two games to go after a 0-0 draw with Tampines on May 3.
It meant that they completed consecutive domestic doubles, having clinched the Singapore Cup in January.
But given their vastly superior resources, especially compared to the rest of the league, the successes this season pale in comparison to the highs of 2025.
Then, they made an unprecedented run to the AFC Champions League Two (ACL2) final, where they were beaten 2-1 by Emirati side Sharjah FC at the Bishan Stadium.
There were poor results this season on the foreign front, which featured group-stage exits in the Asean Club Championship and the ACL2.
It led to the departure of Serbian coach Aleksandar Rankovic on Feb 6, less than a month after the Singapore Cup triumph over the Stags.
Former Iraq national coach Jesus Casas – who was absent from the touchline on the final day due to an Achilles injury that requires surgery – was then appointed to the post on a two-year deal on Feb 23.
Sailors’ director of football Luka Lalic said that the club have already started planning for the season ahead.
Admitting that it had been a turbulent season, the Serb added: “Of course, having a coach who won the most trophies for the club leave is never easy, but the situation called for that.
“The transition was not smooth as well, but at the end of the day, I think after the change was made, the most important thing is to secure the title, and we did that.
“I think a lot of things could have been better.
But this is football, not every season can be perfect.
So, we accept that, and we move on.
Now we have time to prepare for the next season.” Top of the agenda will be to find a suitable replacement for Belgian winger Maxime Lestienne who left last December with an incredible return of 70 goals and 97 assists in 131 matches.
Lalic said: “The plan is to do better than this season, for sure.
We need to make some changes within the team.
We already made the changes within the staff.
I think I can only say that it’s an exciting transfer window ahead of us.” While Tampines’ players and fans were all smiles at the end of the match, they too would be left wondering what might have been, after off-field drama saw five different coaches taking the helm during the season.
Looking back, captain Syazwan Buhari said: “I think we dropped points with a lot of draws, and we put ourselves into some unnecessary positions, throughout the season.
We made it more difficult for ourselves than needed.
But I think we have shown some mental toughness as a team and we need more of that, to build from this, next season.” The resilience was definitely on show for the hosts in the final game as they came back twice from losing positions to notch a win against the champions.
After a cagey first-half with few chances, the match came alive when Sailors midfielder Song Ui-young broke the deadlock with a piledriver from outside the box in the 50th minute.
The Stags equalised in the 57th minute through Jacob Mahler’s header but the Sailors were back in front just two minutes later with Lennart Thy nodding in a cross from Nur Adam Abdullah.
With second spot at stake, the Stags then mustered an almighty comeback.
Former Japan international Yuki Kobayashi found enough space in the box in the 75th minute to hit a sumptuous equaliser.
And three minutes later, Hide Higashikawa was on hand at the far post to prod home the winner after a corner was flicked on to his path.
It was the Japanese forward’s 19th goal of the season, just behind Albirex Niigata’s Shingo Nakano who has won the SPL Golden Boot with 20 goals.
The Stags end the season just two points behind the Sailors and it begs the question whether they could have given the champions a stiffer test without the managerial upheaval.
A little more stability and consistency may have seen the Stags enjoy a historic season.
Lion City Sailors, BG Tampines Rovers, Singapore Premier League, Hariss Harun, Maxime Lestienne, Asian Champions League 2