SCOTT Cooper will be taking charge of the Philippine Azkals following their winless campaign in the AFC Asian Cup.
Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Mariano Araneta said Cooper will be in charge of preparing the Azkals for the World Cup qualifiers this year.
Cooper’s entry means that the contract of former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson will no longer be renewed after the AFC Asian Cup.
“Six months lang naman contract ni Sven. We just want a fresh face, and a new perspective regarding the Azkals. I think that he has inspired the players because they have a lot of respect for coach Sven,” said Araneta.
Cooper, hired as senior adviser of the Azkals last year, will not be officially named the head coach of the Azkals as he still needs the required licensing from Fifa.
“He will still be the one in charge. We have regulations in Fifa. He has to get the licenses. Meanwhile, he will be in charge of the preparation of the team,” said Araneta.
The Englishman was hired early last year as the team’s senior adviser to Terry Butcher, who took over from Thomas Dooley as Azkals coach. Butcher, however, resigned from his post after just one month last August.
Cooper spent six years in the Thailand league, leading Buriram United to a quarterfinal finish in the 2013 AFC Champions League.
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