Catching up with former Filipinas head coach Alen Stajcic

Name: Catching up with former Filipinas head coach Alen Stajcic | Sports Desk
Uploaded: 2023-08-07T13:32:29+00:00
Duration: 19 min 15 s
Channel: CNN Philippines

00:00 behind the Filipina success and the Women's World Cup is our special guest

00:04 tonight he led a national lady booters to unprecedented heights in 18 months as

00:09 its tactician joining us today for an all-out conversation conversation is

00:15 former Filipina said coach Alan's tight itch and coach Alan is joining us by

00:21 zoom all the way from the land down under and are you in Melbourne coach or

00:26 in Sydney Sydney Sydney yeah I told my team you're in Sydney yeah we're gonna

00:32 change the locator from Melbourne he is in Sydney Australia that this where

00:36 coach Alan resides coach I'm good how are you mate it's been a whirlwind for

00:42 you especially in the last week yeah yeah look it's been amazing it's been

00:47 amazing right you know just seeing the girls getting all that love from the

00:52 fans it's what it's all about you want to bring people along for the ride and

00:56 it's just great to see them getting all that adoration and you know all the joy

01:01 and all the love from everyone and you know they gave a lot we sacrificed a lot

01:04 and it's good just to get a little bit of that feeling back you should come

01:08 back to the Philippines - can we expect you to come by the Philippines I'm

01:12 having a monument a statue of Alan's tight itch built I'm waiting you

01:21 promised me a steak about I still owe you the scale and yeah I owe you the

01:25 official invite and the barbecue yes I promise you and I'm a man of my word

01:30 congratulations and thank you for what you have done through the Philippine

01:33 women's football team and the program we've heard assessments coach left and

01:37 right from analysts and also your players yourselves when they guess it

01:42 on the show last week I want to ask you personally I want to hear it from the

01:46 man himself how would you assess evaluate or grade the Filipinas maiden

01:52 run in the FIFA Women's World Cup coach I'll look for I've said it many times

01:58 from where we came from just to qualify was was beyond miraculous what the

02:04 players did over the corresponding 18 months 20 months to get to the pinnacle

02:10 of the game to have the flag flown it at a World Cup to have Filipino fans in you

02:17 know filling up World Cup stadiums and singing the anthem and getting a goal

02:22 getting a win yeah he's just truly truly beyond amazing some countries take four

02:28 or five World Cups to get a point to get a goal to get a win and and ultimately

02:32 as I said earlier in an interview today back here in Australia we ended up with

02:36 as many wins as Brazil Germany and America who all had one each and and just

02:40 to think that this team got to this level so quickly is just inspiring

02:45 really they're just an inspiring bunch of athletes and the staff are amazing as

02:49 well were you surprised with what happened with a win beating host country

02:54 New Zealand or did you I'm sure that was a goal all along at least to surprise or

02:59 shock your group being the lowest ranked and then in our group but did it exceed

03:06 your expectations coach or did you see this all along I knew this was gonna

03:10 happen from your from your end coach look you never know what's gonna happen

03:15 and we set targets to try and win two games in the group and get out of the

03:18 group and yeah I thought that was a monumental goal that we set for

03:23 ourselves it was it's like climbing Mount Everest on your first occasion at

03:27 a World Cup and we made it halfway there but but just to get a point I think we

03:32 were the first debut time to get a goal we were the first debut of this World

03:35 Cup to get a win and even some of the other debutants the history of their

03:40 teams is just so much richer you know the professionalization of this team has

03:45 only been recent times and and to rise up so quickly to be able to perform so

03:50 well under pressure playing against two European nations with players playing

03:56 for some of the best players in the world to beat the host nation in front

03:59 of their home crowd in front of 32,000 people you can't write a script like

04:03 that and again what the players did was was truly inspiring for me as a coach

04:08 but I know for all the fans back home in the Philippines and across the world as

04:13 well and again I won't stop thanking you thank you you did that coach you and the

04:18 whole team and you just made it an entire nation just jubilant and and

04:24 supportive and the Filipinas are being treated here like royalty in Manila and

04:29 well-deserved and we've mentioned time and time and again that their success

04:34 story from struggling to get help even paying for their own flights back in the

04:39 day now they're getting sponsors and they're the latest heroes in Philippine

04:43 sports are you surprised with the outpouring of support and admiration

04:47 that the girls are getting lately? Not really because I just know that people

04:54 love a good story people love seeing athletes who play with heart who play

05:00 with spirit who play sport in the right way whether you're the favorite or

05:05 whether you're underdog when people see the emotion and passion they gravitate

05:09 towards that and and that's why I think could draw so many people though that

05:13 crowd there that you just showed in Eden Park 34,000 people playing against the

05:18 European team and 30,000 fans were Filipinos and you know obviously

05:23 the country is full of basketball fans but for this moment everyone converted

05:28 to a fan of the Philippines and Philippines football so it just shows

05:32 what an inspiring group of players and an inspiring group of staff that we had

05:37 that contributed to this amazing run and hopefully it's laid a foundation of

05:41 platform for years to come. But here's the hardball coach I'm gonna

05:46 throw you a fastball right now but right after the Filipinas final World Cup

05:51 game against Norway the news broke out right away that you and assistant coach

05:54 Noel Agarte are leaving the the Philippine women's football team and the

06:00 program and that broke my heart and a lot of Filipinos heart walk us through

06:04 that that whole process have you already decided beforehand that you will not

06:10 come back and renew your contract as the head coach of the Philippine women's

06:15 football team after the World Cup? No not at all it broke my heart too to be

06:21 honest that was a extremely tough decision you know being with the team

06:26 and being so close to the team and and being such a close team like we all were

06:30 it's a tough decision but no I didn't sign the contract with Perth up until you

06:36 know whatever it was just a week ago four or five days ago wasn't wasn't long

06:40 ago and you know so Jeff was kept abreast of all that all the way along

06:44 and we just mapped out what would be the best for for myself for coach Noel and

06:49 and for the team as well so you know everyone was kept in the loop all the

06:52 way along and everyone was always respectful both ways and everyone knew

06:57 what was coming and look when we look back originally it was a 10-week

07:00 contract and it's gone for nearly two years so we've become extremely proud of

07:04 what we did and what we contributed and now it's time for the team to move on to

07:08 their next chapter and us to move on to our next chapter but definitely I'll

07:13 always be a fan definitely I'll always be part of the family and I can't wait

07:18 to see their progress coach have you made a recommendation or who do you

07:25 think is best fit to continue because again it has to be sustained did you

07:30 make a recommendation who the next head coach will be for the Filipinas it to be

07:35 honest I don't think that's my job I think that's the job of the PFF and and

07:40 anyone else who's involved with her it's so Jeff or other people are going to be

07:43 involved and are there's elections in the PFF later this year in two or three

07:47 months time and they're obviously crucial and pivotal for all the football

07:51 in the Philippines but especially the Filipinas so you know I just wish them

07:57 the best then if look if they ever need advice on anything you know I'm just a

08:02 phone call away and that goes for you know any of the players as they know

08:06 that goes for so Jeff that goes for anyone at the PFF all I'll always be a

08:10 fan I'll always be in love with the team and the country and anything I can do to

08:14 support moving forward I'll always be there coach how long is your contract

08:18 with Perth FC and is this the last of Alan's tight rich with a Philippine

08:22 women's football team can we hope can I hope personally to be for you to be back

08:27 in the next World Cup answer that after we take a really quick break stay where

08:33 you are coach Alan our all-out conversation with former Filipinas head

08:36 coach Alan's tight rich will continue after a really quick break you're

08:41 watching sports s only here on CNN Philippines where we go all out the days

08:45 top sports stories with me right back to the former Filipinas tactician and the

08:49 head coach and the new head coach of Perth glory FC in the a league men coach

08:53 Alan's tight rich still joining us on his show today live via zoom from Sydney

08:58 Australia before we get back to the Filipinas and about Perth FC coach talk

09:03 about that team USA Women's World Cup Megan Rapinoe and company what a match

09:08 it went into a shootout and who Sweden coming up with a big upset your thoughts

09:14 on that match coach I've never seen anything like it to be honest I took for

09:20 it to go to a shoot I was probably America's best game to be honest I

09:23 haven't really hit their straps in this World Cup and and you know they had a

09:27 couple of games where they probably weren't the better team against Holland

09:30 and Portugal and and managed to eke out a draw but in this game that they were

09:35 certainly the better team the dominant team you know so many unbelievable saves

09:39 from the Swedish goalkeeper Moussa Vichy yeah you know for it to go to a shootout

09:43 and every player hit perfect penalties then all of a sudden four in a row yeah

09:47 shank one after the other and then the winning penalty to go in by one

09:53 millimeter was just yeah something I've never seen before it was amazing theater

09:57 yeah amazing sport and you know that's that's the fine line between success and

10:04 failure and you're going home by one millimeter at the end of the day and you

10:07 know it's heartbreak for America but I'm happy for Sweden even though they

10:11 weren't the better team on the day I know that they can certainly go deep

10:14 into this tournament if they get back to top form mm-hmm well yeah that was that

10:19 was really great and I believe the goalie of Sweden really got inside the

10:23 heads of Team USA's a strikers coach now with that development how will that

10:30 affect the championship picture who who's your pick to win it all in a 2023

10:35 FIFA Women's World Cup coach yeah look before the tournament if I had to pick

10:41 an outsider one of the probably not team that's in the top two or three in the

10:45 world I would have picked Japan I'm still going with Japan now I just think

10:50 they've played amazing football I watched them play a few times last year

10:54 and I thought they were amazing and I just thought if they could if they could

10:57 find their scoring boots you know I know they've got the technical and tactical

11:01 prowess over the rest of the field to to manage the game and dominate games and

11:05 and they've shown that they're the probably best most informed team at the

11:09 moment the World Cup Spain aren't far behind Australia just beat Denmark and

11:15 Australia's maybe a little bit different but has probably more powerful weapons

11:19 than any other team left in the tournament so you know I wouldn't be

11:22 surprised if it's a Australia or France on one side of the draw and and

11:28 possibly Japan or Spain who gets through to the final from the New Zealand

11:32 side of the draw yeah good picks well coach let's go back to our very own

11:36 Philippine women's football team numerous milestones in 18 months as head

11:40 coach of the Philippine women's national football team that is just unfathomable

11:45 like I mean if there's all if there's one guy who can do it it's you like 18

11:49 months aside from the World Cup appearance the historic debut maiden

11:52 World Cup appearance you guided also the Filipinas to their first AFF Women's

11:56 Championship title in 2022 all in all coach are you satisfied with what you

12:02 have accomplished with the Filipinas or you feel it could have been more oh I'm

12:11 greedy but I'm not that great you like what we achieved as a group and you know

12:14 it's just as I said those those phenomenal to move you know that the

12:19 rankings in women's football are a fairly good reflection of ability and to

12:23 move up you know over 20 24 25 spots in that time just generally shows how far

12:30 we progressed as a team to win the AFF for the first time in history to beat

12:35 Thailand even get a point against Thailand for the first time in history

12:38 to to beat Vietnam for the first time in history yeah to beat Myanmar for the

12:44 first time in history to get to the semifinals of the Asian Cup the AFF

12:48 backing in the result the bronze medal the World Cup win against New Zealand

12:53 30,000 people at a stadium people watching in shopping centers and street

12:58 parades and motorcades and you know it's beyond is beyond dreamland to be honest

13:04 it's gone from you know a team that probably wasn't in the social conscience

13:08 of yeah of the Philippines to being one of the favorite teams in the country and

13:13 you know I think we're all really proud of what we achieved and again hopefully

13:17 it's just a starting point for the team and they can continue to grow again I

13:21 will have a monument of Allen's light it's built in a statement coach shortly

13:28 after your departure from the national team was announced let's take a look you

13:34 thank your players for being courageous here it is passionate discipline and

13:40 loyal to the team the flag and the country your sacrifices should be long

13:45 remembered by all Philippine sports fans to give hope and inspiration is the

13:49 greatest of all achievements why put a premium on giving hope and inspiration

13:56 and just this message coach you want to elaborate yeah look it's something that

14:02 is I guess special with our sport it's really special with football it's really

14:09 special with the World Cup football as we know it's it's the world game it's

14:14 played and basically a religion it's spiritual in 80 to 90 percent of the

14:19 countries in the world and and some of the very few countries where it's not

14:23 number one include Australia New Zealand and the Philippines and to see countries

14:29 like Australia where it's sellout crowds now time our game after game 40,000

14:34 people 45,000 people just tonight there's 75,000 people watching

14:38 Australia play Denmark in a women's football match I mean New Zealand ticket

14:43 sales were really slow pre-world Cup but we ended up getting 15,000 32,000 and

14:49 34,000 come to our games of which there was a large portion of Filipino fans

14:54 coming so you know it shows that we've transcended culture and society brought

15:02 people together brought people together for a cause and a purpose it shows that

15:07 these players are now potentially going to be role models for a next generation

15:11 of young kids around the world to follow this team all Filipino boys and girls

15:17 now have heroes and they have people they can aspire to become like and that's

15:21 generational you know that's generational you plan the deceit of

15:25 growth growth and hope and spirit and all the things that we love to see in

15:31 our sports does so you know I know that it's transformational and that's why I

15:35 think what these players have done you can see the emotion that they play with

15:39 their passion and and tears after winning and after a loss yeah and how

15:44 much it actually means to them and hopefully there's a new generation of

15:47 Filipino kids now who take up the game and love the game and love playing for

15:51 the Philippines in the next five ten even twenty years and even beyond them

15:55 when we interview them in 20 years time they'll be reflecting back on this World

15:59 Cup saying they remember Serena Bolden they remember Olivia McDaniel they

16:03 remember the players as being that turning point in their in their mentality

16:08 and in their mindset. Well said, well coach I have to make this quick running out of

16:12 time but I need to ask you about Perth Glory FC 9th finished 9th out of 12

16:18 teams in 2022-2023 season and now you're going to Perth you're from Sydney and

16:25 team CEO Anthony Radich described you as a winner and loves a challenge what

16:30 particular challenge intrigued you to accept this coaching job and at the same

16:35 time what's your plan for the squad what kind of culture are you looking to build

16:40 in Perth Glory? Yeah look Perth is a team that 25 years ago transformed Australian

16:47 football that was one that really brought football out of the dark ages

16:51 and of the last 20 years they've meandered a little bit and had the odd

16:55 little bit of fleeting success and been in one or two grand finals but really

16:59 haven't captured the attention of the city like they had 25 years ago and you

17:05 know it's gonna be a hard road there's a lot of hard work here the club is in

17:09 receivership at the moment and looking for new owners but it's such a wonderful

17:14 opportunity and potential and not dissimilar to to the Philippine story

17:18 where you know this team is currently meandering and and you know has has a

17:25 lot of things that they could do better and hopefully we'll do better on and off

17:29 the pitch and you know hopefully we can come come there and give some hope and

17:33 inspiration and bring this team up and make it one of the powerhouses of

17:37 Australian football like we all know it can be and should be and and hopefully

17:41 bring all the crowds back to the stadium there and have them singing and enjoying

17:45 a Sunday afternoon supporting their team winning team. Yeah if there's one guy who

17:49 can turn things around that's Alan Stajic, Case in Point,

17:51 Filipinas. How long is your contract with Perth? Three years coach? Three years

17:56 that's right. Next World Cup is four years. Have we truly seen the last of

18:00 Alan Stajic with the Filipinas? Four years maybe you can come back. Will you

18:05 coach the Philippine women's football team again if given a chance or if not

18:08 maybe as a team consultant? Andre I think that's a bit unfair to the new

18:14 coach who's coming in like we have to give them every opportunity and you know I've

18:18 had my time and as I said I'll always be there for those players and anyone who

18:22 wants anyone at the PFFs or Jeff they know I'm only a phone call away and they

18:26 can always reach out but you know it's always time for change and change can be

18:30 good and I know that we've laid a really really good platform and a really good

18:35 foundation and and you know I know that good things are built on good

18:38 foundations so you know I'm sure they're gonna be successful as they move forward.

18:41 Coach, maraming maraming salamat. On behalf of all the Filipino sports fans

18:46 maraming salamat, congratulations, thank you for what you have done to the

18:50 Philippine women's football team and Philippine sports in general. I still

18:54 owe you that steak, that meal, come by doors of this show. CNN Philippines

18:58 always open to you. Thank you coach. More power. Stay safe. Keep in touch.

19:02 Thank you Andre. Thank you. Thank you. Again that was former

19:07 Filipinas head coach Alan Stajic now the new head coach of Perth Glory FC in the

19:13 Stay safe, Coach!

Catching up with former Filipinas head coach Alen Stajcic | Sports Desk

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