Earlier this week Singapore's football chiefs pulled out of next year's Asian Champions League rather than be forced to boot foreign teams out of their S-League.
Foreign teams' admittance to the league contravenes Asian Football Confederation criteria for entry to the region's top club competition.
In the wake of the withdrawal, former Singapore international Malek Awab says the future of the S-League must lie with local teams instead.
"We need a bigger pool of local players for our national team, so foreign sides are not going to help Singapore football," he told the Straits Times daily newspaper.
"I'm very sad with the current state of football here now."
Former Woodlands Wellington and Tampines Rovers official R.Vengadasalam weighed into the argument, saying most foreign teams have only caused problems for Singapore football.
"Take the Chinese sides - they have been nothing but trouble," said Venga, who cited Sinchi (poor discipline) and Liaoning Guangyuan FC (match-fixing scandal) as examples.
National coach Radojko Avramovic was more circumspect.
"Some have been good value for money, while others have contributed to local football in other ways," he told the newspaper.
French side Etoile FC currently lead the 12-team league by a point. Japan's Albirex Niigata lie ninth, one place above China's Beijing Guoan Talent FC.
Singapore Football Association spokesman Issac Christian said: "Over the years, we have strengthened the entry criteria as we look to get better teams into the S-League for our fans."
'I would love to relive walking out at Wembley in the FA Cup final with West Ham when I was captain': Gilly Flaherty reflects on sensational career
'When Manchester City play it's hard not to be biased as they are my club and I love it when they win - but it frustrates me even more when we get beat' Steph Houghton on the problems of punditry and remaining neutral
