PFL's 2020 cast complete as Maharlika gets nod, Global suspended

The cast of clubs in the Qatar Airways-powered Philippines Football League is now officially complete as the First Instance Board of the Philippine Football Federation has decided on two matters at hand last Tuesday.

First, the FIB has slapped a 90-day suspension on embattled Global Cebu due to its financial woes that were incurred over the past two years which boiled over the past few months as several players and staff brought the issue to social media about the club's failure to compensate them.

The suspension sends the fallen giants of Pinoy football into further turmoil and is in danger of being kicked out of the competition and the league altogether, after they have already failed to comply with the initial 10-day deadline last August.

On the other hand, the FIB has also given a provisional license to Anton Del Rosario's Maharlika for the season to fill in the minimum requirement of six teams for the league.

The club owned by Azkals legend, who is now known as the 7s Football League founder, were making waves in their claim as the people's club, as they have revealed the core of the first team led by veterans such as Misagh Bahadoran and Simon Greatwich, as well as getting their youth from the Great Oak Manor academy.

It's aggressiveness in marketing and promotion caught the eye of league commissioner Coco Torre, who has been impressed with their intent, in which they were trending on their online training program.

"They show a lot of professionalism, in terms of complying," he said on Tuesday's PSA Forum, with the club underwent swab testing for the coronavirus the following day to prepare for their first training at the PFF National Training Center in Carmona, Cavite.

Photo: PFL (FILE)