GERMAN coach Michael Weiss is back at the helm of the Azkals, the national men’s football squad, the Philippine Football Federation announced on its website late Tuesday.
“We are delighted to welcome coach Weiss back,” PFF President Mariano “Nonong” Araneta Jr. said of the German tactician’s return as coach of the national team. “He has kept the Philippines close to his heart and continues to be a well-respected figure by players and staff.”
Araneta added that Weiss “will buckle down to work” as he takes charge of the Azkals for friendlies against Nepal on June 15 and Chinese-Taipei on June 19 at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
Since both dates will fall on the FIFA “windows” from June 12 to 20, which allows players to be released for their national teams, the PFF has invited 24 players for a short camp before the friendlies.
Among those invited are Fil-British goalie Neil Etheridge and prolific naturalized striker Bienvenido Maranon.
In his last assignment, Weiss, 58, who called the shots for the Azkals from 2011 to 2014, was the mentor of the Laos Under-22 squad that had one draw and three losses in the group stage of the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games football tournament.
With his German connections, the mentor is credited for recruiting the services of retired gifted midfielder and former Azkals skipper Stephan Shrock as well as siblings Mike and Manny Ott, who also played in midfield and remains among the mainstays of the Azkals until today.
He steered the Filipino footballers to a second straight semifinal finish in 2012 in the Asean Football Federation Championship, then known as the Suzuki Cup, narrowly losing by a single goal in the home-and-away semis to Singapore, which went on to capture the crown.
With the Younghusband brothers James and Phil plus winger Chieffy Caligdong leading the way, Weiss guided the Azkals to a third-place finish in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup, the former qualifying tournament for the AFC Asian Cup, in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The Pinoy booters finished second in Group A with two wins and one loss, a 0-2 defeat from North Korea, which subsequently ruled the tournament, then nipped Palestine 4-3 in the battle for third place.
