Azkals get boost from Germany

MANILA—Two new Filipino-German players to strengthen the Azkals, a German technical director to assess the country’s football program and an experienced assistant coach for the Philippine football team bound to see action in the Southeast Asian Games.

Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss, who arrived two days ago from Germany, announced these developments Wednesday night even as he expressed hope of a strengthened football program for the country in cooperation with the German Football Association (DFB).

Weiss was at the Manila Polo Club Wednesday night along with several players to attend a press conference of Azkals sponsor Cortal SQR, which gave the team P500,000 for its campaign in the Long Teng Cup in Taiwan next month as well as the SEA Games in December.

Cortal also gave the Philippine Homeless World Cup team to Paris financial aid of P200,000.

Weiss said that Fil-German player Ronald Mueller, the second choice goalkeeper of German second division side Duisberg, has already agreed to join the Azkals, while another player, a striker in Kevin Ingreso, will beef up the squad next year after getting clearance from his club, Hamburg.

Weiss also revealed that the DFB is sending a technical adviser in Krautzen Ekhardt in October to make an assessment on the current state of the sport in the country, especially at the youth level.

He added that compatriot, Michael Kruger, who was part of the backroom staff of the Tunisia team that reached the World Cup in 2006, will be arriving this month to join the coaching staff for the Azkals Under-23 squad for the SEA Games.