PFF head hit for sorry state of RP football

MANILA, Philippines - Several stakeholders of football in the country yesterday took Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Mari Martinez to task for mismanaging the association and the run of poor results by the national teams in international tournaments.

Speaking at the weekly PSA Forum at the Shakey’s UN Avenue, NCR FA president Pocholo Borromeo, Laguna FA chief Jun Pacificador and former PFF technical director Juan Cutillas said Martinez should be the one to blame for the “poor” state of football in the couuntry.

“Football’s slogan is fair play, unfortunately it’s not happening in Philippine football,” Pacificador said.

Martinez declined an invitation to attend the Forum together with his critics.

Onie Patulin, a former member of the PFF Board of Governors, who was also at the session sponsored by Shakey’s, Accel, the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and Outlast Battery, believes the absence of tournaments and coaches development program has left the country’s football program “stagnant.”

Cutillas, who last coached the men’s national team in the ASEAN Suzuki Cup last month, said Martinez has neglected the national team.

“The last tournament was an absolute flop,” said Cutillas, referring to the national team’s performance in the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers in the Maldives, where the Philippines, despite eight foreign-based reinforcements, won just one match and lost two, including a 5-0 thrashing from Turkmenistan.

“The national team is not just a reflection, but a caricature of the current state of football and the policies of Martinez,” said Cutillas. “It’s pathetic.”