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SINGAPORE: The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) will once again be searching for a 10th club to compete in the Singapore Premier League (SPL). Speaking to reporters at a press conference following the 42nd FAS Congress at Sheraton Towers Singapore on Monday (Sep 16), FAS president Bernard Tan said the association would put out a request for proposal early next month and that both local or foreign clubs can apply. By opening the league possibly to foreign clubs, FAS hopes that some of its "partners" who have previously expressed interest will respond positivity, said Mr Tan. Having foreign clubs will also allow the "catchment" of supporters to grow, and possibly increase the league's commercial value, he explained. "The whole aim of growing the league is first of all to ... make it a lot more interesting. More teams will make the league more vibrant," Mr Tan said. "Having more foreign teams will also set different benchmarks for where people are, and allow us to also make sure that we develop along with those lines." The goal is for the new club to compete in the 2025/26 SPL season. In December last year, the FAS had also invited interested parties to put forward a detailed proposal to take part in the current season. While the in-principle approval had been given to one club, the SPL eventually remained a nine-team competition. "The shortlisted club entered into a due diligence process, which took longer than expected," said FAS previously. "Given the tight deadline prior to the commencement of the SPL in May 2024, the club has decided not to contest the 2024/25 season. "Instead, it will focus on getting a team ready for the 2025/26 season." Mr Tan said that FAS had learnt from the previous unsuccessful search which had possibly been "too fine to the wire". "The process only ended in February or March ... the league was going to kick off in May, so it was far too late," he added. The nine clubs currently in the league are Albirex Niigata, Lion City Sailors, BG Tampines Rovers, Balestier Khalsa, Geylang International, Hougang United, Brunei DPMM, Tanjong Pagar United and the Young Lions. The Lion City Sailors are currently top of the league, ahead of BG Tampines Rovers on goal difference. The SPL - formerly the S League - was officially launched in 1996 with eight local teams.