S1E5: Why European football matters more to Singaporeans: Hard Tackle

Jul 25, 2023

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Hear why the European eco-system is more relatable to Singaporeans than the local scene.

Synopsis: Every fourth Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times dives into a sports topic and tackles the hard questions with its guests on Hard Tackle.

The Festival of Football is in town as Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City, Liverpool and Bayern Munich play pre-season friendlies at Singapore’s National Stadium.

Football is unofficially the national sport of Singapore and as thousands of fans pour into the Kallang area to watch these European teams, the local Singapore Premier League continues to see dwindling numbers.

Why is this the case? Is it fair to ask Singaporeans to show support to local football teams as much as they do for their European clubs?

Lion City Sailors fan Eddy Hirono, Liverpool supporter Syahril Rahman and ardent Spurs fan Nitin Nambiar join ST sports reporter Deepanraj Ganesan to discuss why Singaporeans are more drawn to European football than what goes on in their own backyards.

Highlights (click/tap above):

3:40 What lured these fans to support their respective sides

7:10 Why Syahril the Liverpool fan does not watch the local Singapore Premier League (SPL)

9:45 Our guests on whether it is fair to ask Singaporeans to support the SPL as much as they support their favourite European teams

16:05 Are foreign players in European leagues more relatable than local players?

24:45 What can fans look forward to during the friendlies that are to be played during the Festival of Football?