Philippine Azkals: The Men who Started it All (Part 3)

This is Part 3 of a series of posts about the men behind the rise of the Azkals. You are encouraged to read Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.

As Englishman Simon McMenemy left his post as coach of the Philippine national football team, the Azkals, a German came to the scene. And upon his arrival, many of the football enthusiasts were curious on whom he is and what can he do to bring his new wards to greater heights.

He was part of an aid package by the German Football Federation (DFB) to the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) which includes some equipment, training camps, coaching courses, and an undisclosed financial grant, allegedly amounting to around €500,000. Therefore, the PFF did nothing to get this coach and all these perks into the team; it was because the PFF did something for the DFB to send these to help the Philippine team.

And that man is named Hans Michael Weiß.

(Yes, it should be spelled that way. But since many of our Pinoy readers don't know how to pronounce, or even how to type, the German character "ß", called an eszett or the "sharp /s/" sound, let's spell it as Weiss. Take note too, it must be pronounced roughly as /'vaisz/).

This 46-year-old, six-footer man, who was born in Dannenfels, a small town in the West German state of Rhineland, is not just some guy who came out of nowhere. His credentials as a football player and coach speak for itself. Even his academic credentials are definite assets as well, as he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Science, and a master’s degree in Physical Education in the University of Mainz.

In the days of his youth, he played as a goalkeeper in Kickers Offenbach and Vespar football clubs, now playing in the middle tiers of the German football system. (Credits to his height, I think so.)

As he moved on to be a coach in the late 1990’s, he first ventured the depths of the Japanese soccer system and became the coach of Kyoto-Sanga. When he guided the players from this soccer club, it became one of the most successful of the then-budding J-League. Japan is also the country where he met his wife, and brought them two beautiful girls.

He moved on to China, where he coached the China PR’s Under-20 and Under-23 national teams, which had a turbulent yet successful experience under his care. After such, he moved to the small African nation of Rwanda, a nation plagued with the horrors of the 1994 genocide and the scare of HIV-AIDS. Nevertheless, as he coached its Under-17 national team, he was also an agent of change in the nation in promoting football as a means of promoting livelihood and alleviating poverty.

And then the opportunity came when the DFB offered the Philippines the package it needed after the miracle in Hanoi in early December 2010. From a select pool of coaches under the German football body, he was chosen to coach the Philippine national team, with his salary taken care of by the DFB.

When he arrived in Manila in mid-January 2011, he immediately saw the situation of football in the country. It is not well-known as a sport, until the miracle in Hanoi happened a month ago. It is long been overshadowed by basketball and boxing, the most popular ones in the country. And it is not properly supported in terms of its finances, infrastructure and fans, as it has long been perceived as an elitist or a Bisaya sport, as it is played by either school-children in wealthy private schools around the country or in the outskirts of the Visayas region, particularly in the islands of Panay and Negros.

And he needed to break the chains of that perception.

His first assignment was the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup pre-qualifying leg against the Mongolia national team. The home fixture was due to happen in February 9 in the Panaad Stadium, at the football-crazy city of Bacolod. He fielded the regulars like skipper Aly Borromeo, Chieffy Caligdong, Ian Araneta, Anton del Rosario, the Younghusband brothers, Neil Etheridge, among others. Nothing out of the ordinary, so he thought. But little that this German knew was how he would react to the hospitable and celebratory culture that Filipinos are known for.

As it was a few weeks after the miracle in Hanoi, it was expected that this event would be a sold-out one. And it did. Fans and supporters of the Azkals, whether because of their football or their good looks, were filling Panaad to the brim. Television coverage was more than ready to send it to the masses around the country. Even the Philippine National Police (PNP) had to send around a thousand police officers to make sure nothing serious would take place. It was really a very strange surprise to Weiss, as all he knew that these situations only happen to his native land with crazy fans filling stadiums to support either their clubs or their national teams.

Minutes before kickoff, a strange-looking fan caught Weiss’s eyes. Clad in a blue wig, face painted with the colours of the Philippine flag, and crazy as a rabid dog, the man went around the track oval of the Panaad holding the Philippine flag, cheering for the Azkals. He was soon halted by the PNP officers, and was arrested. It shocked and angered fans live and on TV. That man, soon identified as Richard "Ebong" Joson, a Filipino, was soon tapped by the German, through the PFF, to form the cheering squad known to this day as the Kaholeros (from the Filipino word kahol which means “to bark” like a dog). And Ebong, after that incident, was given a new identity known today as The Blue-Haired Fanatic.

I credit the coach for giving birth to this fan. To this day the Blue-Haired Fanatic and the Kaholeros lead the Filipino contingent in the stands to cheer for the Azkals everywhere they go. And it is as rabid as ever.

Culture-shocked in a way, Weiss had the fondest experience starting with that fixture in Bacolod, feeling a love with the people who supported the Azkals all the way. As fireworks were lit as they won that match, he knew he will be able to lead the team to greater heights by qualifying for the tournament.

And it did. Through all the pains and challenges that ensue the team during the qualifying games, including the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan at the time they had a training camp in March, the Azkals qualified for the AFC Challenge Cup main draw for the first time ever. And winning this tourney will lead them to the AFC Asian Cup, with the 2015 edition to be held in Australia.

It was not yet over. A bigger road lies ahead. An interesting fact is that, the name Panaad is actually a Hiligaynon word for “promise.” Indeed it was a promising experience for the coach and the Azkals.

More on Part 4.

KENNETH