After a tumultuous few months, the Philippine Men’s National Football Team finally has new leaders tasked with building on the recent progress initiated by Freddy Gonzalez, Albert Capellas, and Mikkel Paris.
Early Wednesday morning, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) announced that Spaniard Carles Cuadrat — who served as interim head coach during the team’s 2-2 draw against Tajikistan in June — has officially been appointed as the new head coach.
Cuadrat was previously the assistant to former coach Capellas.
“We are pleased to welcome Coach Carles Cuadrat to lead our Senior Men’s National Team. His deep tactical understanding, coupled with a history of building winning teams and developing players, perfectly aligns with our vision for the future,” said PFF President John Gutierrez.
“We saw a glimpse of his immediate impact during the Tajikistan match, demonstrating his ability to inspire and adapt under pressure. We are confident that under his guidance, our national team will achieve new milestones and ignite even greater passion for football across the country.”
As Cuadrat steps into the role vacated by Capellas, it now falls on current NCR Football Association President Miguel “Mico” Gutierrez to help fill the leadership void left by Gonzalez and Paris.
Mico Gutierrez, who is also the brother of PFF President John Gutierrez, has long been involved in Philippine football. He spearheaded the NCRFA Youth League and managed the national squad that recently captured the U16 Lion City Cup title in Singapore.
He has now been officially named as the Manager of the Philippine Men’s National Team for its upcoming matches and tournaments.
“We thank Mico for taking on the important role of managing the Philippine Men’s National Team,” said PFF President John Gutierrez.
“The PFF is confident that with his experience and expertise in football and business management, he will be able to bring our Men’s Team towards the direction we’ve set out to do from the very beginning – which is to build on the gains of the team and keep on advancing in the international stage.”
With Cuadrat and Mico Gutierrez now at the helm, all eyes will be on their leadership as the Philippines prepares for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification campaign in hopes of securing a return to the continent’s top competition in Saudi Arabia.
The Philippines last participated in the AFC Asian Cup in 2019 under the leadership of team manager Dan Palami and head coach Sven-Göran Eriksson.
