One of the Philippines’ most prominent football clubs is making a comeback in a different form.
Davao Aguilas Football Club, which is owned by businessman Jefferson Cheng, made the announcement Tuesday on its Facebook page.
“As we enter a new era in the history of our club, we are confident that this partnership will be a huge boost to Philippine football and its supporters around the world,” the statement read.
“We are thankful for the trust and support of Mr. Cheng in our program as we set our sights on achieving greater heights once we are allowed to resume our football activities.”
It must be recalled that the club withdrew from the Philippines Football League at the end of its 2017-2018 season. It was a big blow to the sport back then, considering the likes of Ilocos United and FC Meralco Manila had folded their operations beforehand.
At its prime, the club had the likes of veteran coach Marlon Maro at the helm, with players such as Azkals legends Phil Younghusband, James Younghusband, and Jason de Jong.
The team finished in seventh place in the 2016-2017 season; then second place in the 2017-2018 campaign and the Copa Paulino Alcantara.
“To our supporters, we are excited about the future of the club and we hope that you will continue to join us in our new journey as we aim to build a better foundation for youth football development and to contribute to producing top talents for greater youth and professional player pool in the Philippines,” added the statement.
“Sukol Aguilas!”
Ultimately, time will tell if Davao Aguilas will return to the country’s topflight league.
Nevertheless, this announcement that the team will return at the youth level is a much-needed piece of good news for Philippine football amidst this COVID-19 outbreak.
