October 10, 2004
SAFFC have severed the last remaining playing link with their
title-winning glory-days with the release of former captain Nenad
Bacina.
The Croatian, 33 had won 2 S-League
titles in 4 years with the Warriors after joining from NK Belisce
in 2000 as he became instrumental at the back for the Warriors
After the last triumph in 2002
though, Bacina saw the title-winning squad
broken up with the departures of the likes of Nazri Nasir etc & then again in 2003 with Rezal
Hassan & Mirko Grabovac etc.
Ironically, most of those released
from Choa
Little wonder that Bacina
admitted he is jealous of Tampines Rovers because
that could have been them
Nevertheless Bacina
continued to do his best & this season with a vast inferior side he managed
to skipper them to fourth but ironically the ‘reward’ has been he had been told
his services will not be needed for next season.
Bacina said he have spent nearly a third of his
playing career with this club, so it would not be normal to say that he do not
feel anything about leaving but he is leaving on a good note after 4 great
years here & it is time for the next step in his career.
He want to thank the fans who have
been fantastic as he still remember how they would wait for the players after
the match, from the good times when they won the title through the times when they
were not doing so well.
Bacina, who holds a UEFA 'A' coaching license, has
been tipped for a coaching role in Singapore but says he would prefer to
continue playing as he feel he still have more to
contribute as a player & can still learn about coaching by playing a
few more years.
He had been
in contact with a few S-League clubs about next season, but if nothing is
arranged then he will find a club back in