FAS head of talent identification Kenneth Santa quits
Over two years after joining the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) in a newly created head of talent identification position, Kenneth Santa parted ways with the national sports association on Jan 14.
The 42-year-old was appointed in January 2023 after having previously held various scouting roles in Danish football. He also worked in various Asian countries, including at Qatar’s Aspire Academy and Punjab FC in India.
The FAS had created the role two years ago in a bid to strengthen its scouting structure. Santa was then tasked with establishing a robust framework that could be used to identify promising young players for Singapore’s youth national teams.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, an FAS spokesperson said that it had reached an agreement with Santa to “mutually part ways as FAS seeks the way forward for Singapore’s talent identification system”.
The spokesperson added: “Kenneth has set up structures and processes for talent identification in the last two years or so. These structures and processes – that include national trials for boys and girls from Under-8s to Under 15s and a scouting database – have played a part in the identification and selection of NDC (National Development Centre) and JNDC (Junior National Development Centre) players, and also potential players for our national youth teams.”
“Going forward, FAS seeks to build on the talent ID programme and have stakeholders working closer together.”
The FAS also added that the identification of players is an “ongoing process” that will continue despite Santa’s departure, and this will come under the purview of the FAS technical director Michael Browne.
Santa was a close associate of Browne, whose contract was extended for a year last August.
He helped to establish the talent identification department which he led, and its initiatives included having part-time scouts who search for talents at club and private academies matches, the National School Games and FAS trials. He also led FAS’ talent identification course which was aimed at giving potential scouts the necessary knowledge and training required to identify gifted youth players.
ST understands that while Santa helped to formalise the scouting and talent identification structure at the FAS, those who worked with him on the ground revealed that he was often too vocal of his frustrations working in Singapore football, and was at times not cooperative with stakeholders.
Santa declined comment when contacted by ST.
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