Time to capitalize on football’s growth

ON Friday, May 18, 2018, The Business of Football - Philippines, which is organized by MMC Sportz,

Makati Hotel. The event has masterfully put together key stakeholders in the football scene in one venue, with the key goal of being able to come up with a clear strategy moving forward.

Now more than ever, football as a sport should be seen as a growth industry.

The recent headlines that the Philippine Men’s National Team, or The Azkals, have generated alone, should give both the team and the sport, the boost and the support they deserve. Not only from spectators or supporters, but also from brands and investors.

in the upcoming Asian Cup in January 2019, to be held in UAE, along with our FIFA ranking which is at an alltime high at 113. You may also add the fact that, The Azkals’ goalkeeper and Cardiff City’s poster boy, Neil Etheridge, who delivered 19 clean sheets

Asian to play in the English Premiere League (EPL), should be good enough

seriously, and with enough passion, as most countries do.

MMC Sportz CEO Eric Gottschalk, conference organizer, in a recent TV

educate about football -- the professional league has only been around for one year. And while many people know how the franchise system works in basketball, the franchise system in football works a little differently, and people don’t even know. There are also a lot of commercial and advertis-

are also going to talk about what is needed to grow the sport, such as the infrastructure, like football pitches, which is a big issue.”

“The Azkals, playing for the Asian Cup, only means that the Philippines is now on the global stage. The Asian Cup is the second biggest tournament

So for the Azkals to be part of it, it is obviously a great honor and a great achievement.”

The Azkals Team Manager Dan Palami also talks about the growth and development of the sport, and says, “I took over the national team 8 years ago, when we never had any good result, and when most South East Asian teams wanted to play with us because

- ing to compete in South East Asia, and we never got to the qualifying stages

place in the Suzuki Cup, and these days, I’d like to think that some teams try to avoid us now.”

Palami continues, “Now that we are playing in the biggest stage in football in Asia, I hope that this would bring the sport to another level in the Philippines. And somehow encourage, younger people, kids, to get into the beautiful game.”

Some of the speakers at the one-day conference include, La Liga Managing Director Ivan Codina, AFC Head of MA Services Domeka Garamendi, SMG Insight Managing Director Frank Saez, The Azkals Team Manager Dan Palami, PFL CEO Lazarus Xavier, PFF General Secretary Atty. Edwin Gastanes, The Azkals Team Captain Phil Younghusband, among others.

Participants from various local and foreign football clubs, such as Liverpool and BVB Dortmund, are also

football conference in the country.

The fact that this event is taking place is a good sign for the sport, especially with the international participants, both as speakers and delegates. It is also a clear indication that perhaps, there’s a lot more we can do inside and outside of the football pitch in the country.

If I may borrow a term in psychology, we can say that the ‘external locus of control’ seems to gain traction, now, this only needs to get in-sync with the ‘internal locus of control’.

In other words, if we get to maximize both the external and internal forces in football, and make them agree to come up with a very clear vision that this sport should be grown even more, I am sure, that there’s a lot more positive headlines that our national team, football clubs, and the sport can put forward and generate in the future.

After all, it is but high time that we capitalize on football’s growth.

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