IN what is seen as a step backward for Philippine football that will have a direct impact on both national teams, their plans and activities, Freddy Gonzalez has resigned as Philippine Football Federation director for national teams.
“It is done,” said a very reliable source, who was privy to the decision of Gonzalez, 47, but declined to be identified for obvious reasons, yesterday.
“His (Gonzalez’s) decision to step down was due to a number of cumulative reasons,” added the source of the decision of the likeable and articulate national team honcho, whose steps had made the national men’s team entertaining, enjoyable to watch, competitive and relevant once again.
Known to be his own man, the former national football player turned businessman was apparently upset by some of the moves in the PFF leadership about his handling of the PH squads that did not sit well with him, according to the source.
“Apparently, there were some people who seemed to know more than Freddy in the way he handled the national teams, claiming credit where it was not due,” added the source of the Gonzalez’s interaction with the PFF officials mentioned.
The last straw, the source said, that seemingly broke the camel’s back was the sudden resignation of Spanish tactician Albert Capellas as the mentor of the PH men’s side for “personal reasons.”
It was Gonzalez who had taken a direct hand in hiring Capellas as a replacement for Belgian mentor Tom Saintfiet, who had a forgettable eight-month stint with the PH side before heading back to Africa.
Despite the coach change, the Filipino footballers soldiered on under Capellas’s former deputy, Carles Cuadrat, who steered them to a vital 1-all standoff in Group A of the third round of the AFC Asian Group qualifiers last June 10 at the New Clark City Stadium in Capas, Tarlac.
“There was more than meets the eye in that decision of Capellas of stepping down,” the source noted without elaborating.
A staunch supporter and ally of current PFF president John Gutierrez, who was elected by a landslide as the successor of Mariano Araneta Jr. in November 2023, Gonzalez’s resignation has left a huge void just when the Philippines is set to plunge into action in several major overseas tournaments.
For one, his exit has left the status of Cuadrat and the rest of the PH squad coaching staff in limbo just when the Nationals are set to resume their Asian Cup qualifying bid against Timor Leste on Oct. 9.
Gonzalez’s decision might also affect the morale and condition of the Filipinas, the national women’s squad, who are set to compete in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifying tournament kicking off June 29.
The charges of Australian Mark Torcaso are bracketed in Group G with Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and host Cambodia, with the group topnotcher booking a ticket to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2027 in Australia.
The Filipinas are also poised to defend their Asean Women’s Championship trophy in the competition renamed the MISG Serenity Cup scheduled Aug. 6 to 19 in the Vietnamese cities of Phu To and Haiphong.
While some of his moves – like the hiring of Saintfiet – went awry, the majority of the steps that Gonzalez did for the benefit of the national teams were sound.
For one, his recruitment of Capellas for the Nationals fit like hand-in-glove as the Pinoy ballers showed a slow but steady rise under his guidance, making them a force to reckon with at the regional level once more.
They hit their stride in the last Mitsubishi Electric Cup, the men’s regional football showcase, reaching the semifinals for the first time in six years.
This was highlighted by a stunning 2-1 win over fancied Thailand – their first in several decades – last Dec. 27 in the opening leg of the home-and-away semifinals series at the historic Rizal Memorial Stadium.
With the growing credibility of the PH men’s squad, Gonzalez was able to convince a number of able and competent overseas players with Filipino roots to come on board, among them celebrated Fil-German striker Gerrit Holtmann, who played for the first time in front of a hometown crowd at the NCC Stadium last week.
His absence might have these same players having second thoughts about competing for the national team in the future.
Realizing that both national teams needed sustainable funding, Gonzalez was responsible for convincing global digital bank GoTyme to sponsor them.
