THOMAS DOOLEY expressed no hard feelings after his contract as coach of the men’s national football team was not extended.
“I have no hard feelings about the decision of the PFF [Philippine Football Federation]. I don’t understand [why], but I respect the decision,” said Dooley, who coached the Azkals for four years.
“I’m proud and humbled to get the chance to represent this beautiful country, his terrific people and leading those fantastic players,” he added.
The PFF and Azkals Manager Dan Palami decided not to resign Dooley and tapped Terry Butcher in his place.
Butcher and Cooper will work with assistant coach and former Azkals midfielder Chris Greatwich and goalkeeping coach Steve Marcells.
Butcher managed several clubs in the Scottish Premier League, including Coventry City, Sunderland and Motherwell, and Australian team Sydney FC. Has yet to set foot in Manila and is currently covering the World Cup Russia as a broadcast analyst for BBC.
Cooper, on the other hand, handled successful clubs in Thailand since he started a managerial career five years ago. He steered Buriram United to a perfect run in the Thai Premier League, Thai FA Cup, Thai League Cup and a quarterfinals finish in the 2013 Asian Football Confederation Champions League.
The Philippines will make its debut in the AFC Asian Cup United Arab Emirates in January 2019—a qualifier for the 2026 World Cup.
Dooley made a huge impact for the Azkals since taking over in 2014. He steered the Philippines to its current best world ranking at No. 115.
The Azkals’ amazing 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Tajikistan that clinched the country’s first-ever ticket to the AFC Asian Cup in March at the Rizal Memorial Stadium turned out to be Dooley’s legacy to Philippine football.