Money dispute ruins S'pore footballers' dreams
The 23 young Singapore footballers training in Italy returned home on Thursday after a two-month stint at the Genova School of International Soccer (GISS).
What started out so brightly for the youths quickly turned into a fiasco as a money dispute took centre stage after the Sembawang Soccer Academy (SSA) failed to keep its end of the deal to pay the GISS half of the total amount of S$656,000 for the four-month programme, reported The Straits Times.
The payments had been due on 22 July and 22 September, as stated in a 10-month contract worth almost S$1.4 million. The SSA also owes the players and their parents about S$115,000.
The GISS sent a letter of demand to the SSA through their lawyer in Singapore, Gloria James-Civetta, last Friday. The school requested the SSA to fork out the outstanding sum of more than S$314,000, failing which legal action will be taken against them.
“We had been given assurances and with a former star like Fandi Ahmad (SSA’s director of football development), who would have doubted the project?” James-Civetta said as quoted by the same paper.
“But the problem is that they have never come clean with us.”
Financial doubts have also stalled hopes of the SSA’s application to join the S-League under the name Sembawang United.
SSA’s anonymous benefactor, a local businessman, is reportedly in India seeking to expedite the transfer of funds from his business partners.
The players – aged between 17 and 21 years – and coach Tohari Paijan, are suppose to head back to Southern Europe on Friday next week for another two-month stint, but that is also hanging in the balance as it will depend on the SSA’s ability to cough up the second half of the payment first, explained James-Civetta.
Speaking at the airport on Thursday after accompanying the team back from Rome, SSA general manager Alfred Loi said, “From a management point of view, our relationship with GISS has broken down and we are not inclined to do business with them anymore.
“I reiterate again that the issue is not because we do not have the money, it is because there is a delay in the funds coming in.”
He added that should talks with GISS break down, alternative plans will be made for the boys.
