Cebu FC Gentle Giants undergoes major overhaul

Memiş Özata (left) and CFC owner Ugur Tasci. | Photo from CFC

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Football Club (CFC) Gentle Giants recently underwent significant internal changes.

This followed the recent departure of key personalities and the introduction of new faces to its ranks.

The Gentle Giants announced the exit of key players and coaching staff.

Three of CFC’s Japanese players—Ren Okuda, Ken Murayama, and Ryoo Tagashi—formally concluded their tenure with the Gentle Giants, as did their elite scorers Arda Cinkir and Cebuano Ivan Ouano.

Additionally, their American head coach, Josh Schirmer, and coaching staff members Ref Cuaresma and Mustafa Al-Saffar also concluded their time with CFC.

Despite the loss of key individuals, CFC officially welcomed its new head coach and technical director, Memiş Özata. Özata, a Turkish national, boasts a broad coaching career in Turkey.

As a UEFA A licensed coach, Özata served as an executive assistant and academy manager for clubs such as Iskenderunspor FC, Bardejov, Erbaaspor, Afyonspor, Artvin Hopaspor, and Ulubey Belediye, among others.

“With a wealth of experience and a dedication to excellence, Coach Özata is poised to make a significant impact on Cebu FC and Philippine football. We’re thrilled to have Coach Memiş Özata on board to contribute to our team’s success,” said CFC in its social media post.

Joining Özata is the returning assistant coach, Levent Öztürk, who previously spent an entire season with CFC in 2022 under the guidance of then-head coach Mehmet Kakil, who unfortunately passed away last year.

Lastly, CFC welcomed Singaporean goalkeeping coach Larry Chew, a prominent figure in Cebu’s football scene.

Chew is well-known for his role as the goalkeeping coach for several clubs, including Arkiteks United Women’s FC and KN Ferraren FC.

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