[ad_1]
When Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson arrived as the Philippines coach this weekend, there was no television camera to welcome him, no supporter wishing to take pictures and get signatures.
The latest work of the Swedish coach at the head of a national team contrasts with all his other tasks. He is brought to a country obsessed with basketball and little is known about football, despite intense monitoring of the match in East Asia.
But after spending five years training in England in the media and watching the details of his personal life on the front page, this 70-year-old coach now likes to be a stranger.
"Nobody knows me here, that's fine, you see, the Philippines is not a football country.If you're in England, Italy or elsewhere, people will know me, but that's very good, "Eriksson told Reuters before conducting the third training session for the Philippines. "He said.
Eriksson was training in the Philippines a week before a busy schedule with a series of successive championships beginning with the Suzuki Cup, a one-month tournament for the nations of Southeast Asia, then the Cup of Asia in January in the UAE.
Erikson hopes to enjoy unobtrusive enthusiasm for Filipino football thanks to the first participation of the Asian Cup and national goalkeeper Neil Ethridge, who became the first South Asian player to play in the Premier League with Cardiff City.
Eriksson recently rejected leadership offers in Cameroon and Iraq, a team with "big ambitions" and is expected to win the Asian Cup.
After the resignation of former English defender Terry Butcher in August, without leading the match, Ericsson then moved to the Philippines, where he said the relative non-proliferation of football was one of the reasons reasons that had pushed him to accept this task.
"It's even new to me, it's a country of over 100 million inhabitants and football is not important, and I want to make it an important match. I was wondering why I was not trying to do something good with the Philippines, so let's try to do it. "
"I know basketball is the first popular game here, but let's try to change that, if we succeed, the game's popularity will increase very quickly."
But success may be easier than attracting the attention of local people: Erikson's first appearance appeared in front of the media only in the inside pages of Filipino newspapers, after the American Basketball League announcement, a police chief overseeing a shooting competition and a gymnast worried about not getting a visa.
The coverage of the World Cup TV channels is accompanied by advertising cuts announcing the rules of football, while the transfer of certain critical matches from the group stage to the coverage of the local volleyball league is canceled.
Life is moving at a slower pace for Erikson and his new assignment with the Philippines will return to what he says is "the spirit of enthusiasm and excitement" he needs.
Since 2017, Eriksson has returned to his hometown of Torsby Village, Sweden, where he led his home team in games that drew fewer than 200 spectators.
"That's what I did, I had a normal life, but after a while, I missed football and sport, I ran a local team and it's a wonderful thing and a kind of pressure "said Eriksson, who headed Rome, Lias, Manchester City, Mexico, England and Ivory Coast. You are trying to improve this team, but it's different when you train a national team, so I'm happy to come back. "
The Philippines have players born in Europe, some of whom have already played for players like Chelsea, whom he considers very positive.
The Philippines will participate in the Suzuki Cup against Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and East Timor before participating in the Asian Cup for the first time against South Korea, China and Kyrgyzstan in group stage, thus extending the contract of Ericsson until the end of both championships.
The Swedish coach does not seem to be certain of what will happen, but he says that he will not retire.
"Life is beautiful and, at a certain age, I may not have to work, but I like work and as long as I want to stay on the ground, that's fine" , did he declare.
[ad_2]
Source link
