Albert Capellas is new head coach of PH Men’s Football Team

Albert Capellas during his stint with the FC Barcelona Team B. | Photo from FC Barcelona’s website

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Philippine Men’s National Football Team (PMNFT) has officially announced the appointment of veteran Spanish coach Albert Capellas as their new head coach.

The announcement was made via the team’s official Facebook page on Tuesday, September 10, as they also expressed enthusiasm for Capellas’ extensive background and international experience.

“We are delighted to announce the appointment of Albert Capellas as our new head coach! Honed by La Masia, Coach Albert brings a wealth of experience from his stints at FC Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, and FC Midtjylland. He has also worked alongside renowned coaches such as Thomas Frank and Peter Bosz,” PMNFT said in a statement.

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Roughly a week ago, Belgian Tom Saintfeit quit his head coaching job position with the PMNFT to commit to the Mali national team.  Saintfeit quit a few days before the PMNFT started its campaign for the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia.

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NEW COACH

Capellas, 56, is from Barcelona.  He boasts of a rich coaching resume, having held prominent roles across Europe and Asia. His coaching career has taken him to clubs in Spain, The Netherlands, Denmark, Israel, Germany, and China, where he built his resume.

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He served as an assistant coach for FC Barcelona’s Team B from 1999 to 2003 and later took on a similar role with the Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund in Germany.

Capellas wasted no time immersing himself in his new role, joining the PMNFT at the 2024 Merdeka Cup, where he worked alongside interim head coach Norman Fegidero Jr. as part of the team’s campaign.

The Spaniard’s influence is not new to Philippine football, as he was previously involved with the Philippine Women’s National Football Team during one of their international campaigns.

In his new assignment, Capellas’ first task is to lead the PMNFT in the FIFA qualifying windows next month and the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Mitsubishi Electric Cup in December.