Email
Print
Digg This
By Martin Petty
BANGKOK, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Unable to find talented players at home, soccer bosses from the Philippines have been scouring the leagues of Europe to beef-up their struggling national team.
Searches across England, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands have turned up scores of players with at least one Filipino parent, making them eligible to play for one of the world's least-decorated teams.
Although players from Bognor Regis, NAC Breda and Fulham reserves are unlikely to get the pulses of the Filipino fans racing, soccer president Mari Martinez believes his new recruits have given his humble team a major boost.
"The quality of our local players is not very good but it's not their fault," Martinez told Reuters on Thursday.
"We don't want to bring in foreigners and naturalise them. Instead we'll tap the services of Filipinos in other countries.
"We need to improve and we had to do something."
Six months ago, the Philippines were ranked 190th in the world and did not bother entering the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
But they are steadily climbing the rankings with six European-based players in their starting 11, most of whom have never even been to the country. Martinez is hoping to add 10 more by the end of the year.
He said over 40 players with Filipino mothers and British fathers had been found in London alone, while at least 20 were being looked at in Germany.
"We're lucky because 20 years ago, we had a lot of Filipinos moving to Europe and marrying people there," he added.
"Their kids are playing football now -- that's great for us.
"We want to have a good team and we want our kids to see a few stars."
