Azkals coach Thomas Dooley blasts revolting players, calls Schrock a liar

 

Azkals coach Thomas Dooley broke his silence over the resignation of Stephan Schrock and Dennis Cagara from the national football team in a news conference on Thursday.

 

Schrock and Cagara both turned to social media to announce that they left the team because they didn't want to play for Dooley, a move that the coach called "unacceptable, unprofessional, and selfish." 

 

Dooley reserved the harshest words for the Filipino-German Schrock, in particular, who reportedly discussed the issue on German media.

 

"He is going all over the world and then hammering us over here on what kind of a chicken farm we are and he is not playing for me anymore because I don't like foreigners, [that] I don't want those players playing for the team," said Dooley, who also called Schrock a liar.

"Everything is not true."

 

Dooley added that the controversy is a "poison" that could destroy the Azkals.

 

"This is the worst thing that can happen to a team," said Dooley.

 

Dooley said that if the players were not satisfied with the lineup, they should have talked to him instead of turning to the social media.

 

"This organization and team deserve to be treated as professionally and like a business," the German-American coach said.

 

Countering Schrock

 

Dooley also dismissed allegations that he favors Philippines-based players over international players, saying that young players needed to be developed but acknowledged the fact that without international players, the team will not survive.

 

"There's no guarantee in playing for the national team because you are playing overseas," Dooley said, adding that it is the performance of a player that counts the most in deciding the lineup.

 

"It is not about what you did five years ago for the team. It's what you do now."

 

The coach also addressed the deleted tweet of Azkals goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, who expressed his disappointment over getting dropped from the Peace Cup training camp team nomination.

 

He said "it doesn't make sense" to bring Etheridge for the Peace Cup to play as the third goalkeeper for the team as it will cost a lot of money. Roland Muller and Patrick Deyto, according to the coach, currently perform as the number one and number two goalies for the team.

 

PFF stands behind Dooley

 

Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Mariano Araneta said that they respect the resignation of Schrock and Cagara, adding that playing for the national team is voluntary and has no contract.

 

However, he also expressed support for Dooley and how he handles the team.

 

"We stand behind Coach Tom Dooley and Dan Palami on their decision," Araneta said. — JST, GMA News