Philippines football draws Real Madrid backing

MANILA, Philippines - The foundation of the top football club Real Madrid will conduct ”rolling” football clinics in all 16 regions of the Philippines under a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Real Madrid Foundation (RMF) and the PinoySports Foundation to be signed in a ceremony in Madrid, Spain on Sept. 17. 

At the signing rites, the Real Madrid Foundation will be represented by Foundation vice president Enrique Sánchez, and Real Madrid’s director of institutional relations and former football star Emilio Butragueño.

Former Senate and UP president Edgardo Angara is signing for the PinoySports Foundation as its chair and Kevin Tan, executive director of Alliance Global Inc. as trustee. 

The ceremony will be attended by Philippine Ambassador to Spain Carlos Salinas and Philippine Football Federation president Mariano Araneta.

“Clinics by Real Madrid Foundation coaches will introduce the world’s most popular sport to more Filipino youth and widen their football participation in the beautiful sport,” said Angara, who initiated the talks with the famous football club and its foundation. 

Ambassador Salinas said its noteworthy that Real Madrid Foundation has chosen to assist Filipino youth for the important bond between Spain and Philippines.

The clinics will ultimately cover all 16 regions. The inaugural clinics consist of three visiting coaches mentoring 18 coaches and 180 students from Metro Manila (NCR), and six coaches and 60 students from Baler, Aurora (Region III).   The goal is for similar “rolling” training clinics to be held in the other regions.

Andrew Tan of Alliance Global Inc. is the principal sponsor, hosting the clinics at its McKinley Hill Stadium at Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Such coaching program of Real Madrid Foundation-led training programs have been conducted in Japan and China, and the clinics for the Philippines will be of national scope.