The AZKALS: Philippine Football Team

The Philippine national football team is the national football team of the Philippines and represents the country in international football. The team is controlled by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF), the governing body of football in the Philippines.

HANS MICHAEL WEISS NEW AZKALS HEAD COACH

Source: Nuggel Purl - Azkals manager Dan Palami yesterday announced the entry of tap German coach Hans Michael Weiss as its head coach.

Weiss brings with him a lot of hope and experience when he takes over the Azkals’ training on Jan. 16, three weeks before the start of their AFC Challenge Cup tie against Mongolia.

The 45-year-old Weiss will replace Simon McMenemy, the English coach who steered the Azkals to a historic semifinals stint in the recent AFF Suzuki CupWise move?.

“He is highly-experienced and knowledgable, and he has a UEFA (Union of EuropeanFootball Associations) license. This ushers in a new era for the Azkals and will certainly give us better results,” said Palami.

The Filipino team manager also thanked McMenemy for his services to the team and Philippine football in general.

In just four months, McMenemy helped turn things around for Philippine football, and helped provide the wake-up call for Filipinos who have seemed to turn their back on the sport.

“I thank Simon for all his contributions to the team,” said Palami.

Palami returned from Germany yesterday, and said his quick visit yielded positive results from the German Football Association (DFB), not just in the hiring of Weiss but in terms of training camps and grassroots development programs.

“Hopefully, the Azkals will continue their momentum not only in 2011, but also in the coming years. For the moment I cannot comment on anything. After next week, the Philippine soccer world will know more,” Weiss was quoted as saying in an online post.