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| Coach Alen Stajcic brought the Filipinas to the World Cup for the first time. |
After guiding the Philippines' Women National Football Team to through a historic journey to the FIFA World Cup, coach Alen Stajcic has decided to could explore other options rather than stay with the Filipinas.
Stajcic's contract and the contract of Assistant Coach Nahuel Arrarte expired at the conclusion of the PWNFT’s World Cup campaign. They will not be renewed as both coaches have asked to explore other options, said a press release from the PWNFT.
"Without question," Stajcic said in a statement, "the two best experiences of my coaching career thus far were the last two World Cup matches.
"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," he stated.
"And despite the scoreline, the last match against Norway, where 34000 patrons attended, with 30000 singing for the Filipinas, brought shivers down our spine.
It showed that Football does belong in the Philippines, and that legacy is something we are all proud of."
"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," he stated.
"And despite the scoreline, the last match against Norway, where 34000 patrons attended, with 30000 singing for the Filipinas, brought shivers down our spine.
It showed that Football does belong in the Philippines, and that legacy is something we are all proud of."
Stajcic released his statement earlier today:
“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.
"Throughout nearly 20 months we went on a journey together as a Team from outsiders in South-East Asia to winning a match at a World Cup.
"There are too many highs to reflect on (including)…
- semi final of AFC Asian Cup
- 1st ever competitive bronze medal at SEA Games
- Winning the AFF in Manila
- Scoring our 1st goal and beating European opposition
- Record high FIFA rankings time after time
"But without question, the two best experiences of my coaching career thus far were the last two World Cup matches.
"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.
"And despite the scoreline, the last match against Norway, where 34000 patrons attended, with 30000 singing for the Filipinas, brought shivers down our spine.
It showed that Football does belong in the Philippines, and that legacy is something we are all proud of.
"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.
"I wish everyone a great future and look forward to following the next chapters in the story.”
In response, the PWNFT said, "We wish Coach Alen and Coach Naz the best of luck in their next football adventure, and we will forever be grateful to them for changing the landscape of Philippine football forever.
"They have they shown us what is possible with proper guidance, dedication and hard work, and their efforts have led to the greatest achievement in Philippine football thus far—a match won against the higher-ranked host nation at a World Cup. They will surely be our beloved heroes for decades to come," continued the statement.
"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."
Stajcic is a former coach of the Australian women’s team who was removed from his position just before the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France. No official reason was given by Australian officials.
His hiring by the Philippines football federation in 2021 changed women's football in the Philippines forever by recruiting players of Filipino heritage from around the world (18 of the Filipinas were born in the United States). He pit them against international competition to help develop their skills and raise their confidence.
The World Cup experience, Stajcic says, is the highpoint of his career and the culmination of hard work and dedication by the players and coaches.
“This team was ranked in the 60s and 70s [in the Fifa rankings] a few months ago, and was struggling to beat Nepal and Hong Kong in a playoff,” Stajcic said after beating New Zealand, a victory he called “staggering and miraculous and unbelievable”. “What the players have done is just mind-blowing,” he said.
“This team was ranked in the 60s and 70s [in the Fifa rankings] a few months ago, and was struggling to beat Nepal and Hong Kong in a playoff,” Stajcic said after beating New Zealand, a victory he called “staggering and miraculous and unbelievable”. “What the players have done is just mind-blowing,” he said.
EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.
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