PFL to lean on due diligence in a much-awaited return

Philippine football will have its much-anticipated return to the pitch this month, after an agonizing five-month wait due to the lockdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

And with the top people behind the sport, it is all systems go for them as the six clubs will prepare in what has been the most anticipated fourth season of the Philippines Football League, the first under the sponsorship of Qatar Airways.

In line with their protocols that were approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force, the clubs will hold their training sessions at the PFF National Training Center inside the San Lazaro Leisure and Business Park in Carmona, Cavite which is now under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

As the protocols are already put in place, PFF President Mariano Araneta is banking on the trust on the stakeholders involved.

"Each club has its own responsibility to make sure that their players are following the safety protocols," said the former national team standout in Tuesday's Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.

Araneta also bared that the PFF also received the donation of testing kits that came from the United Arab Emirates that will be used by the House of Football, PFL included.

Three of them, namely the newly formed United City and veteran sides Kaya-Iloilo and Stallion Laguna are the first to grace the pitch at the first day of the training Wednesdsay.

Both the Azkals Development Team and Mendiola are set to train on a later date, as they are looking to fix their logistics before getting to action.

With regards to the specific instructions, league commissioner Coco Torre stressed for due diligence of all the players and staff involved.

"Itong ginagawa namin, amidst the pandemic, itong pinakaimportante dito is yung sundin nila yung instructions," he said. "Yung cooperation is vital to what we're trying to achieve."

Torre added that the protocols, which has cited the World Health Organization and FIFA, were formulated with the health of everyone in the league in mind, as it hopes that it would minimize the damages brought by the dreaded virus that brought Philippine sports into a grinding halt.

"Yung theory natin andyan na, pero in terms of practice hindi pa natin naeexecute," he added.

Although there was the bubble concept that was floated in which the Carmona complex will have a huge role, Torre said that it was not yet set in stone as they are still looking at the other options when it comes to holding the games, when it is a different matter compared to the training.

"I've been reading articles and references that the bubble sometimes could be counter-productive, in such a way na andyan lahat ng tao," he then said "If certain people don't cooperate, damay yan lahat."

"Kumbaga you don't put all your eggs in one basket."

He cited the fact that almost all domestic competitions around the world that resumed are played behind closed doors yet they are still in a decentralized manner, with the emphasis in defeating the virus were done by testing. One such exemption was the international competitions such as the Champions League and Europa League, wherein their final phase were in centralized locations.

"Either of the two options is doable niya. At this point, sina-study namin. Number one yung cost-efficiency niya and yung effectivity."

Should the training sessions produced a positive outcome, the league will be sending another request to the task force to finally kick off the season by October the earliest.

And with the patience being tested amidst all the uncertainties, Torre is hoping for more than just due diligence to get the ball rolling at last.

"Trust that we are really doing everything that we can."

Photo: Philippines Football League (FILE)