SINGAPORE (3 June 2021) – The FA of Singapore (FAS) today announced that Technical Director Joseph Palatsides has agreed to a two-year extension to his contract until 2023.
“Since coming on board in 2019, Joseph has set out to further strengthen the foundation of Singapore football to enhance our standards, particularly in the areas of elite youth (male and female) development and coach development,” said Lim Kia Tong, President of FAS.
“He is a hands-on Technical Director who has established key relationships with members of our local football fraternity; from players, coaches and club administrators to grassroots football stakeholders and schools’ administrators.
“With the extension of Joseph’s contract, we are confident that he will continue to share his vision and implement his plans for Singapore football with an engaged fraternity. The FAS will continue to support and work closely with Joseph as he plays a key role in helping to develop Singapore football especially at this crucial juncture when we are establishing the foundations for the Unleash The Roar! national project.”
Added Palatsides: “I joined the FAS because I was attracted by the organisation’s genuine desire to invest in football, and I believe in the potential for Singapore football to continue to grow and reach greater heights. In my two years here, I am extremely heartened to have worked with key stakeholders, such as schools, academies, clubs, and coaches as well as National Team Coach Tatsuma Yoshida and Head of Elite Youth Fandi Ahmad, where the support, collaboration, and synergy amongst us have been key in our pursuit to achieve our shared football vision and philosophy.
“There is still a lot to be done and I am immensely grateful for the support shown by the FAS EXCO and administration over the past two years as well as their renewed trust in me for the next two years.
I have faith that with their leadership, as well as with the full support of all stakeholders and my fellow FAS colleagues, we can achieve our long-term vision and produce the results we desire.”
Palatsides was appointed as the FAS Technical Director in May 2019 to oversee the advancement of Singapore football. This includes implementing an aligned philosophy, enhancing the development of the elite youth teams, grassroots and women’s football as well as further strengthening the youth development pathways and coaching structures.
Under his leadership, the FAS Technical Department took the unprecedented step of holding open trials for age-group players to assess potential talents and widen our pool of youth players.
His efforts in youth development were recognised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) under the Elite Youth Scheme in 2020 when Singapore was offered full membership in the programme.
Palatsides and his team have also been working on an academy accreditation system to further raise standards and strengthen the youth developmental structure.
Academies will be evaluated based on their philosophy and technical programmes to ensure that they are aligned with FAS’ vision and youth development model.
In the area of coach development, the FAS Technical Department has reviewed and revamped the existing curriculum to educate coaches on best practices in the modern game while keeping in line with FAS’ football philosophy.
The curriculum is rolled out to all levels of coaches in Singapore including coach developers, heads of youth development, and coaches from clubs’ Centres of Excellence as well as ActiveSG Football Academy.
The FAS has also recently conducted the AFC Professional Football Diploma (Pro-Diploma) Coaching Course with the aim of upskilling local coaches and equipping them with the knowledge to coach at a professional or elite youth level.
Having committed to continuing his work in Singapore, Palatsides will play a key role in Unleash The Roar! where, with his technical expertise, he will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to galvanise the nation’s football ecosystem and improve the standards of Singapore football across all levels.
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