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Coaches in Cebu are worried about losing top players to Global Cebu academy.
While in various places clubs and academies are always happy when top division clubs scout and recruit their players, it is a different thing in the Philippines in general. Lack of compensation has made coaches, academies, schools, and clubs to be worried about their top players and therefore protect them from being scouted.
Global Cebu FC currently playing in the AFC Cup 2017 is one of the top clubs in the Philippines that is set to take part in the coming Philippines Football League (PFL). In compliance with PFF rules for clubs participation, Global is moving from Manila to Cebu as its home.
According to Sunstar Cebu of March 20 by Mike T. Limpag, GLOBAL Cebu FC owner Dan Palami and CEO Hinko Konstanjevec were in Cebu recently to inspect Cebu Sports Centre and University of San Carlos to decide their possible home stadium for the PFL.
The major issue during the inspection according to Sunstar was the pitches in both stadiums. The bad news was that local coaches in Cebu are wary about the coming of Global Cebu Academy.
“However, I think that’s not the best news they have so far as one of the concerns local coaches have is what would happen to their best players if Global Cebu starts its academy division.” Read full story here...
It is natural to feel the way the coaches are feeling right now in Cebu knowing that Global coming is going to be a Major threat because of how young players move from club to club.
Every player wants to play in a top club and parents like their kids to play in the best clubs if they could afford. Therefore Global FC would be far more attractive to parents and top players especially with the laydown rules concerning youth teams for PFL clubs and Global dream of having academy players to sign with the senior team in the next five years and in European in the next seven years.
In responding to the concerns from the Cebu coaches, Global FC CEO Hinko in the same report acknowledged the work of the coaches, understand their fear and promised not to snatch their best players.
"We recognize the hard work put up by the coaches. It's not about poaching, it's about coming in and working with what's here," said Hinko.
“The players train with the Academy and return to compete with their clubs and schools in local competitions.”
Global FC is a big name in Philippine football and I’m expecting them to lead the way in Cebu. There are several ways they could gain the trust of Cebu coaches apart from the train with us and go back to your local club.
How about compensating the academy when you are interested in their top players? It does not need to be $10,000! It could be balls to the academy, it could be sets of jerseys, and it could be other training types of equipment. In this way, lower clubs may be willing to open their doors not only to Global in Cebu but to all the top clubs in PFL to sign best young players.
According to FIFA rules on the status of players, when a young player signs a professional contract, Clubs that invested in the training of the player from 12 years to 23 years are entitled to a financial reward for the sporting education. Maybe if coaches are aware of this and the dream of Global FC for the next five and seven years, it could make the difference as they stand to gain a lot in the long run.
