Green Archers United (GAU) FC is considering return to domestic top-flight football and has already signified its intention to join the Philippine Premier League (PPL) next year.
“Yes! We have always been interested in supporting top-level football in the PH… We have met with Mr. [Bernie] Sumayao re [garding] the PPL and discussed the intended changes in the league format as well as have confirmed our intent to participate,” club manager Monchu Garcia told The Manila Times in an E-mail.
Green Archers United was one of the founding members of the now defunct United Football League (UFL). The Alabang-based club played in the UFL from 2009 until the league folded up in 2016.
Garcia said that financial reasons prompted GAU not to join the succeeding top-flight tourney Philippines Football League (PFL).
“The only reason we didn’t join the PFL is that we assessed that the total cost of participation was too high for us. We stated this in our letter to PFF (Philippine Football Federation) in January 2017,” Garcia explained in his letter.
In a related development, PFF president Mariano Araneta Jr. recently said in a radio interview that heavy expenses prompted the PFL to fold up.
FC Meralco Manila and Ilocos United FC have earlier withdrawn from the league also because of financial reasons.
“We are hopeful that if the corrections are done — from the mistakes of the PFL—that this may be a successful league. However, the new PPL management and PFF need to remove their rose-colored glasses and review the ‘business case’ for PH club football to ensure that there is sustainable model for clubs to survive and thrive.”
Garcia though is taming expectations for the new league.
“It will be very difficult to bring eight good clubs into the PPL on its first year. It will take time for clubs to recover and corporate sponsors and benefactors to gain their trust and confidence back. But football is the world’s greatest sport and we are hoping that PH fans and corporations will once again support the league,” he concluded
https://www.manilatimes.net/green-archers-u-eye-to-join-ppl/488300/
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