Football fed focuses on coaches' training

By Olmin Leyba (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Aside from beefing up the Azkals team with high-level players, the Philippines Football Federation is also looking to enhance the skills of local coaches to boost the overall development of the sport in the country.

Coach Michael Weiss reported that during his recent vacation in Germany, he has made arrangements with the German Football Association (DFB) for four Filipino coaches to attend a C license course in Koblenz.

“We can send four coaches from the Philippines, amongst them Yanti Barsales and Edsel Bracamonte, to go for a three-week intensive C license course from the German FA in Koblenz,” Weiss said.

At the same time, the DFB also agreed to bring a technical adviser – Krautzen Ekhardt – to the Philippines by October to assess the grassroots and youth development programs here, in preparation for a longer program.

“He will go to all the provinces and check football centers and schools, and make analysis, present it to the PFF and DFB in order to bring a (long term) technical adviser for two to four years starting next year,” Weiss said.

While in the country, Ekhardt will also help the Phl Under-23 team scout its opponents in the coming Southeast Asian Games.

Another veteran German mentor in Michael Kruger will come over to join Weiss’ coaching staff for the SEAG campaign, helping in the transfer of technology to local coaches along the way.

“This is good news for Phl football because we need to lift the level of coaches, and grassroots development, too,” said Weiss, whose Azkals crew is set to compete in the Long Teng Cup in Kaohsiung, Chinese-Taipei next month.

Azkals get boost from Germany

By Cedelf P. Tupas - Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA—Two new Filipino-German players to strengthen the Azkals, a German technical director to assess the country’s football program and an experienced assistant coach for the Philippine football team bound to see action in the Southeast Asian Games.

Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss, who arrived two days ago from Germany, announced these developments Wednesday night even as he expressed hope of a strengthened football program for the country in cooperation with the German Football Association (DFB).

Weiss was at the Manila Polo Club Wednesday night along with several players to attend a press conference of Azkals sponsor Cortal SQR, which gave the team P500,000 for its campaign in the Long Teng Cup in Taiwan next month as well as the SEA Games in December.

Cortal also gave the Philippine Homeless World Cup team to Paris financial aid of P200,000.

Weiss said that Fil-German player Ronald Mueller, the second choice goalkeeper of German second division side Duisberg, has already agreed to join the Azkals, while another player, a striker in Kevin Ingreso, will beef up the squad next year after getting clearance from his club, Hamburg.

Weiss also revealed that the DFB is sending a technical adviser in Krautzen Ekhardt in October to make an assessment on the current state of the sport in the country, especially at the youth level.

He added that compatriot, Michael Kruger, who was part of the backroom staff of the Tunisia team that reached the World Cup in 2006, will be arriving this month to join the coaching staff for the Azkals Under-23 squad for the SEA Games.