Wise move? Azkals tap German coach

By Abac Cordero

MANILA, Philippines – The Azkals will kick off the New Year under a new coach.

Azkals manager Dan Palami yesterday announced the entry of German 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 Cup.

“He is highly-experienced and knowledgable, and he has a UEFA (Union of European Football 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.

Palami said more Filipino players with foreign blood are knocking on the Azkals’ doors, but he stressed that these players will have to prove themselves first, and join the tryouts just like any local-bred players.

“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.

Over the last four years, Weiss, a native of Dennenfels, Germany, served as technical director of the Rwanda Football Association.

Weiss’ resume is two inches thick.

Before his stint in Rwanda, he’d been with the Chinese Football Association as well as the Kyoto Purple Sanga of the Japan Football League, and has had internships with Spain’s Real Madrid, England’s Arsenal, Argentina’s River Plate and FC Kaiserlautern.

The Azkals will host the Mongolians at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City on Feb. 9 and will be in cold Mongolia on March 15 for the second leg of the tie.

Philstar.com