Weiss cited for work with Azkals

National football team coach Michael Weiss has been cited for his work with the Philippine Azkals by the German Football Ambassador 2013, which puts him in an elite group of nominees composed of high-profile German coaches from all over the world.

Weiss, who started coaching the Azkals in 2011 and steered the team to a third place finish in the AFC Challenge Cup and a semifinal stint in the AFF Suzuki Cup last year, was honored in a ceremony attended by Deutscher Fussball Botschafter founder Roland Bischoff in Cebu City Tuesday.

The award is given to German coaches who helped in the development of the sport outside Germany, according to Bischoff.

“I am positive that Michael Weiss will continue to be a major part in the development of football in the Philippines,” Bischoff added.

Among the nominees for the award include former German national team star Jurgen Klinsman, who now coaches the United States side, Bernd Stange, who is at the helm in Singapore, and Otto Pfister, who established a name for himself coaching national teams in Africa. The other nominee is Holger Obermann, who promotes women’s and youth football.

As part of his reward, Weiss was given the option to select a social project of his choice that will be supported by the DFB. The Azkals coach picked the Cebu Football Association, which has already started distributing footballs to 11 member clubs as part of the project.

“I am very honored that I was mentioned and nominated in the same category with such renowned German coaches who have had great success in foreign countries,” Weiss said. “For the moment, my full concentration is with the Philippine national team and the preparation for the AFC Challenge Cup next year in the Maldives.”