The Philippine men's national football team will look for a strong start under Spanish coach Albert Capellas.
The Philippine men’s national football team will begin its new journey under new Spanish coach Albert Capellas in the upcoming King’s Cup 2024 in Thailand.
While familiar faces will grace the national team in the tournament, one notable name in the 23-player lineup is Gerrit Holtmann, who currently plays for Bundesliga club VfL Bochum.
Holtmann played for the Philippines in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers in June 2022. Since then, the Philippine Football Federation has struggled to bring the talented winger back into the squad.
But after some convincing, PFF Director of Senior National Teams Freddy Gonzalez was able to bring back Holtmann for the King’s Cup.
“It took a while to convince him to come back, but it worked. And talking to all the other players, the players who have experienced the way we do things the last three windows, he was convinced, and he decided to finally make the commitment again,” Gonzalez said during the PFF’s press conference on Friday, October 4.
“Gerrit is a fantastic player. He has to be on the national team and we're happy and thrilled that he's joining us again. The fans should be really excited about it. I mean, he's an amazing player, plays in the Bundesliga, so it's something that everybody should look forward to,” he added.
Holtmann will play under Capellas, who replaced Tom Saintfiet after stepping down in late August, just before the team’s participation in the 2024 Merdeka Cup.
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Looking to integrate his new system in the Philippines, the 57-year-old Spanish tactician is excited to have a talented winger in Holtmann on board.
“For my point of view, I didn't see any doubt. For him, it was very clear that he wanted to be here. And that is why I selected him because as I told you, I only want players that have the commitment to be with the national team. That was very easy for my side,” said Capellas.
The Philippines will face Thailand on October 11, while Syria and Tajikistan will face off in the other matchup. The winners will advance to the final, while the losing teams will compete for third place.
(With reports from Xander Cipriano/One Sports Digital)