AUCKLAND — An end of an era for Philippine football.
Alen Stajcic will not be renewing with the Philippine Women’s National Football Team as he and assistant coach Nahuel Arrarte will “explore other opportunities.”
Filipinas team manager Jeff Cheng made the announcement on Tuesday morning.
“To Coach Alen and Coach Naz, it was an honor working with you.
“Win, lose or draw, the entirety of our experience with you will be nothing but a happy memory for all of us. We will never forget you and we hope that you will never forget us too,” expressed Davao-based magnate Cheng.
The PFF tapped Stajcic to replace Marlon Maro back in October 2021.
It was a high-profile signing as the Australian mentor was controversially released by the Football Federation Australia a couple of years prior.
“I would first and foremost like to express my gratitude to Sir Jeff for giving us the opportunity and entrusting us with the keys to the National Team,” said Stajcic.
“Throughout nearly 20 months we went on a journey together as a team from outsiders in Southeast Asia to winning a match at a World Cup.”
The Filipinas reached unprecedented success under Stajcic. They made it into the final four of the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, then earned a bronze medal in the 31st Southeast Asian Games. Following that, they won the 2022 AFF Women’s Championship on home soil.
And they brought the country to a World Cup for the first time in history.
“Beating New Zealand on home soil and scoring our first World Cup goal and getting our first win was the things that dreams are made of,” said Stajcic.
“And despite the scoreline, the last match against Norway, where 34,000 patrons attended, with 30000 singing for the Filipinas, brought shivers down our spine,” he continued.
“It showed that Football does belong in the Philippines, and that legacy is something we are all proud of.”
The contracts of the coaching staff ended after the Filipinas’ last game in the World Cup last Sunday.
Stajcic has been heavily linked with the Perth Glory job by Australian media.
He is hoping that the seeds have been planted for the continued success of the Filipinas program.
“On behalf of Coach Nahuel and myself, we would like to thank all the Coaching staff for your hard work, dedication and commitment. To the players, I can only say, you were courageous, passionate, disciplined and loyal to the Team, the Flag, and the Country. Your sacrifices should be long remembered by all Philippine Sports fans. To give hope and inspiration is the greatest of all achievements,” Stajcic expressed.
“I wish everyone a great future and look forward to following the next chapters in the story.”
The Filipinas will next compete in the Asian Games in China and then the Olympic qualifiers in Australia. It remains to be seen who will be put in charge of the program for both campaigns.
For now, though, there is a sense of immense gratitude that the Stajcic and Arrarte were able to bring the Philippines into the global stage.
