Azkals manager ‘disappointed’

PHILIPPINE Football Senior Team Manager Dan Palami is more disappointed than surprised with the current controversy that surrounds his team.


Four members of the team, namely Neil Etheridge, Simon Greatwich, Anton Del Rosario and Jason Sabio, are the subject of blogs accusing them of having committed rape in the house of Palami.

The information was later traced to an article of Paul Weiler, someone claiming to be a consultant of the Philippine Football Federation, but the PFF apparently disowned him.


“It is very unlikely to happen because I have guards at the house and anything bad that will happen they will know,” Palami said.


No help


The team manager explained that the uncorroborated stories that came out while the team is training are not helping the team, who is currently training for their match against Kuwait.


“It’s more of a distraction as we try to do our responsibility of shaping up for the second round qualifiers against a much stronger team,” said Palami.


“Akala naming ang kalaban namin ay Kuwait, we also have to face some opposition here in the country,” he added.


The players involved had already talked to the team manager and according to Palami, they have a very different version of the story circulating on the internet. He also admitted that, somehow, his players are affected by the event.


“They should learn from this experience that anything they say and do can be taken out of context and it is part of the price of fame,” the team manager said.

Letter

Aside from looking at legal actions, the PFF had already issued a letter to the German Football Association regarding the conduct of Paul Weiller.

“Then again, we should not be swayed with this and we should be focusing on the goal,” he added.


Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on July 13, 2011.