MANILA, Philippines – It did not take long for the Philippine men’s national football team to find its newest head coach.
Just two weeks since the surprise departure of Tom Saintfiet, the team on Tuesday, September 10, announced the appointment of Albert Capellas as its next tactician.
The Spaniard boasts of extensive experience with clubs all over the world, serving as an assistant for Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel), Vitesse (the Netherlands), and Chongqing Liangjiang (China).
A UEFA Pro License holder, the 56-year-old Capellas called the shots for the Denmark Under-21 team from 2019 to 2021 and last coached Danish club FC Midtjylland last year.
“I’m very proud to be a part of this journey. For me it’s a fantastic feeling to be here, to help the federation to go to the next level because that’s what they are looking for,” said Capellas.
The Philippine Football Federation tapped Capellas after Saintfiet vacated his post in August just days before the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia to join African team Mali.
Capellas observed the team in the Merdeka Cup, where the Philippines fell short of a podium after losing to Tajikistan on penalties in the battle for third, and liked what he saw, saying his vision aligned with national team director Freddy Gonzalez.
“When Freddy asked me to join this project and explained to me what they are working on to make the federation better, and to deliver the best for the players, and how he wanted to approach football for the coming years in the Philippine teams, I was aligned and it piqued my attention,” said Capellas.
“I think the aspects we want to develop, we can make them happen. It won’t be easy — nothing in football is — but we can promise that we will do our best.”
Having a hand in the development of notable players Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Thiago Alcantara, Pedro, and Lamine Yamal during his time with Barcelona B where he served as youth coordinator and interim manager, Capellas said he aims to see Filipino players reach their full potential.
“We want to achieve a new way of playing, a new way of training, and I want to help them to understand better what it means to be a professional,” said Capellas.
“We want to help Filipino players who have the chance to play abroad, that they can find better teams, that they can be better prepared to be scouted, and have better football careers.”
Capellas will start calling the shots in the King’s Cup in Thailand in October, hoping to prepare the team for the ASEAN Championship in December and the AFC Asian Cup qualification in March.
“It won’t be easy. This is a project. It will be a journey, a process. There will be ups and downs. Sometimes we will fail. Our job is to make sure we learn from the fails,” said Capellas. “We will try to climb the mountain with a safe journey and go as far as possible.” – Rappler.com