CTTO/ABS-CBN NEWS
Makati, Philippines — The Philippine women’s national football team is set for a change in leadership as team manager Jeff Cheng steps down. Citing a misalignment in goals and priorities with the Philippine Football Federation (PFF), Cheng announced his resignation, which PFF president John Gutierrez and National Teams Director Fred Gonzalez addressed during a press conference on Monday.
“In my recollection, there was a request for approval for a certain program, and we responded that we needed to sit down and discuss. And then to our surprise, we resigned,” Gutierrez explained at the press conference held at Studio 300 in Makati.
He emphasized that the federation was unaware of any mass resignations following Cheng’s departure. “It is not true that people started resigning after Jeff resigned. I think we’ll recover just fine. Whatever preparation is needed will go on as scheduled,” Gutierrez assured.
Gonzalez, who has maintained regular contact with Cheng, shared his perspective on the situation. “Jeff and I have been in constant contact since I started the job. It’s really unfortunate, what happened. I wanted him to stay, but I couldn’t make it work,” Gonzalez said in a separate interview.
Gonzalez will serve as the interim manager of the women’s team while continuing his duties with the men’s national team. He expressed disappointment over Cheng’s resignation but remains optimistic about future collaboration. “Jeff and I, we’ve been in touch. We just had a meeting this morning, and at some point, if he may want to come back, so we’ll see,” he noted.
Under Cheng’s leadership, the Filipinas achieved significant milestones, including their historic maiden appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, where they celebrated a memorable victory against co-host New Zealand.
Gonzalez assured that the women’s team management and staff would undergo a review to maintain high standards and meet fan expectations. “Whether or not the current setup and coaching staff are the ones who will take us there, it’s gonna be reviewed,” he said, adding that the goal is to ensure the team continues to perform at a high level.
The PFF’s immediate focus is restructuring the women’s management and staff and securing new sponsors. Gonzalez mentioned potential changes in managerial roles, stating, “I might not end up being the manager for both of the teams. I might just be overseeing the two managers. But the women’s are gonna have just as good of a staff as the men’s.”
The transition marks a new chapter for the Philippine women’s national football team as they strive to build on their recent successes and achieve even greater heights under new management.