McMenemy on Weiss's words: Scandalous

FORMER Philippine team head coach Simon McMenemy blasted a statement attributed to current head coach Hans Michael Weiss, saying it was "scandalous."

In a story on GMA website, reporter Earl Victor Rosero wrote, "In an apparent reference to the Younghusband brothers, who were dropped from  the Azkals roster for the Peace Cup, Weiss said the Azkals of today are 'without prima donnas... people who think they already have achieved something in football.'"


McMenemy, who was in charge of the team during that epic run in the 2010 Suzuki Cup and at  that time was the youngest ever to handle a national team, said on his Twitter account, "To say that about any player from 2010 is scandalous. I take offence at that statement. All those boys were/are hero's (sic). No expensive training camps, no facilities, or ‘help from Germany.’ Just pure heart, guts and Philippino (sic) pride."

Without much support, the 2010 team only had a training camp in Tacloban and the Long Teng Cup—both funded by Dan Palami—as part of their preparation for the Suzuki Cup.  They also had a brief one-day camp that attracted less than 100 fans at the University of San Carlos high school campus in Cebu.

McMenemy took over the national team in mid-2010, a few months after the abrupt resignation of another Englishman, Des Bulpin.  After taking the team to the Suzuki Cup semifinals for the first time, McMenemy, whose contract was up for renewal, was replaced by Michael Weiss, whose salary is partly paid by the financial package of the German football federation.

McMenemy, who  has since coached in the Indonesian and Malaysia leagues, later added in a post that the "PFF were correct to accept the German assistance, a football decision and the right one."

Weiss, who is in the final months of his two-year contract, is now the longest-tenured Philippine head coach since Aris Caslib, now the PFF technical director, took charge from 2004 to 2007. 

With the recent win in the Peace Cup, Weiss is now the most successful Philippine team head coach.

The win came at the heels of the storm caused by the dropping of the Younghusband for the Peace Cup though the PFF has said the brothers remain in the pool for the Suzuki Cup.