Nationality of next Singapore football head coach should not matter, says departing Ogura

SINGAPORE: The nationality of the next person to take up the vacant Singapore hot seat should not matter, said departing Lions head coach Tsutomu Ogura.

Speaking to CNA after a fireside chat organised by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on Monday (Jul 21), the Japanese tactician stressed that his replacement does not have to be from one particular country.

"Nationality is not important. (There are) many Japanese (coaches), but (they have) different style, different character, difference approaches," he said.

"For me, it doesn’t matter which nationality (the next coach needs to be)."

Last month, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced that Ogura had resigned as head coach of the Singapore national football team due to personal reasons.

Ogura, who was appointed in February last year on a two-year contract, needed to return to Japan for "pressing personal matters", said the association.

This leaves Singapore looking for its fourth national coach in six years, and FAS has appointed Gavin Lee, former head coach of BG Tampines Rovers FC, as the interim replacement.

While Ogura declined to go into specifics, he said that the decision to leave was a "very, very hard" one.

"I ... apologise to every football fan and the Singaporean people. For me, it was a hard decision (to make) but this is for (my life). Football is my life, but my family (is) also my life too," he said.

Ogura told CNA that FAS had provided "good suggestions" for him to stay, but at the end of the day, his family could not come to Singapore. "This was for my family," he added.

His next role will be much closer to home, as vice-chairman of the Japan Football Association's technical committee.

Before taking up the Singapore job, Ogura’s last role was