MANILA – Say hello to United City Football Club and goodbye to Ceres-Negros.
The most decorated football team in the country will have a new name and management following the formal signing of a deal between former team owner Leo Rey Yanson and MMC Sportz Asia chief executive officer Eric Gottschalk on Thursday afternoon.
“We would like to thank Mr. Yanson and his team for agreeing to the transfer of the club into our name as this allows the players to continue participating in PFL (Philippines Football league) and hopefully in the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Cup also,” Gottschalk said.
“We will now apply for the permission of the (Philippine Football Federation) PFF to rename the club “United City Football Club” and request the PFF to support our statement of intent to continue participating in the AFC Cup,” he added.
According to Gottschalk, United City FC is determined to continue Ceres-Negros’ legacy. They have already secured the commitment of the 16 players of the club and are also in talks to retain the services of head coach Risto Vidakovic and his coaching staff.
“The aim is to keep the team and staff together as much as possible and allow them the well-deserved chance to continue to play football amid all the challenges that everyone has been facing,” Gottschalk said.
“We would like to honor the legacy which Mr. Yanson created when he founded Ceres-Negros. We will try to continue the development of Philippine football, especially the professional league and the national team,” he added.
The Busmen won three PFL championships, a Copa Paulino Alcantara gold and a United Football League crown.
Apart from domestic success, Ceres also made waves internationally, with its highest achievement being ASEAN Zonal champions of the AFC Cup in 2017./PN
