THE FC Meralco Manila Sparks will no longer compete in the Philippine Football League (PFL).
Meralco Manila made the surprise announcement late Monday, saying it is leaving the league because of “circumstances beyond [its] control.”
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce that the club will be ceasing operations immediately and will no longer participate in the second season of the Philippines Football League [PFL],” Meralco said in its official statement.
Team management said that it tried its best to resuscitate the club but still fell short.
“The board and management of the Sparks have tried to arrange for new investors that would keep the organization running, but those efforts have sadly fallen short,” Meralco’s statement added.
The Sparks has been in the Philippine football scene since 2006. They started as Loyola Aguila in 2006 and were bought by the Manuel V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation in 2011 and made waves in the defunct United Football League by winning the 2013 UFL Cup.
Meralco had a promising stint in the PFL inaugurals under head coach Aris Caslib. It topped the eight-team eliminations but was sideswiped by Global Cebu in the semifinals.
“We sincerely apologize to our fans, and thank them for all the support over the last seven years,” management said.
The players and coaches are now free agents for other teams. “The club also encourages all Sparks fans to keep on supporting the league and Philippine football as a whole,” the statement concluded.