By NIKOLE JAVIER
Alen Stajcic wanted to “explore other options” as he will no longer be on the pitch with the Philippine women’s national football team after its historic World Cup debut, team manager Jeff Cheng announced on Tuesday morning, August 1.
The sad news came two days since the Filipinas concluded their journey at the biggest football showpiece.
“Throughout nearly 20 months, we went on a journey together as a team from outsiders in Southeast Asia to winning a match at a World Cup. There are too many highs to reflect on… all of which were special and memorable and brought much deserved attention to the team,” said Stajcic in his parting statement.
“But without question, the two best experiences of my coaching career thus far were the last two World Cup matches,” he added.
It was an unlikely appointment that came in October 2021 when the Australian coach took the helm in a supposed 10-week contract that unexpectedly ended in a historic run at the World Cup.
Sadly for the nation which just had its first taste of such achievement in football, the 49-year-old Stajcic along with assistant coach Nahuel Arrarte have both decided not to renew their contract which expired at the conclusion of the Filipinas’s first-ever World Cup stint.
In his magical tenure with the Philippines, the former Matilda coach brought the country along for a sweet ride at the world stage.
“Beating New Zealand on home soil and scoring our first World Cup goal and getting our first win was the things that dreams are made of,” Stajcic furthered. “And despite the scoreline, the last match against Norway, where 34,000 patrons attended, with 30,000 singing for the Filipinas, brought shivers down our spine.
It showed that football does belong in the Philippines, and that legacy is something we are all proud of.”
The Nationals opened their campaign in the quadrennial meet with a 2-0 loss against world No. 20 Switzerland.
It didn’t take long for the much-awaited maiden win to come when the Philippines upstaged tournament co-host New Zealand, 1-nil, through a Sarina Bolden header in the 24th minute of the match to the frustration of the hometown bets, something that Stajcic deemed a highlight of his career and a feat that was rarely done in the previous editions by past debutants.
Stajcic then quickly declined to discuss his future with the Filipinas after their painful 6-0 exit at the hands of world No. 12 Norway that cut their dream short.
With his departure from the now 46th-ranked Filipinas side, Stajcic is hoping that their group “planted the seeds of the future generations wanting to become footballers” in the Philippines.
“On behalf of Coach Nahuel and myself, we would like to thank all the Coaching staff for your hard work, dedication and commitment,” said Stajcic.
“To the players, I can only say, you were courageous, passionate, disciplined and loyal to the Team, the Flag and the Country. Your sacrifices should be long remembered by all Philippine Sports fans. To give hope and inspiration is the greatest of all achievements. I wish everyone a great future and look forward to following the next chapters in the story,” he concluded.
The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) also expressed its gratitude to the three-time World Cup coach.
“Coach Alen Stajcic’s appointment as Philippine Women’s National Team head coach brought women’s football in the Philippines to new heights and hope,” said PFF President Nonong Aranate in a statement.
“Indeed, Coach Alen showed full dedication to hone the Filipinas into a fighting team. He will long be remembered as the coach who trained and dared the team to win at any international competition. Maraming salamat, Coach Alen,” it added.
As Stajcic sees himself out, the Filipinas now prepare for their maiden appearance in the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Tangled with all-too-familiar foes this time, the Philippines landed in Group E against South Korea (No. 17), Myanmar (No. 50) and Hong Kong (No. 78).
Before stepping into the grandest football showpiece in New Zealand, the Filipinas suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of Myanmar which put them out of medal contention in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games last May.
A month before the regional tilt, though, the Philippines marched to the second round of the AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament happening this October at the expense of Hong Kong, 4-nil.
In January 2022, the Filipinas qualified for their first-ever and the still ongoing World Cup following an epic penalty shootout victory over Chinese Taipei in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup only to be handed a 2-0 loss by South Korea in the semifinals.
