The Philippine Football Federation, with more financial backing from world football body FIFA coming in soon, will work hand in hand with the Philippine Sports Commission on improvements on the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium in Malate, Manila.
PFF National Training Director Freddie Gonzalez said this ahead of the Philippine men’s national football team’s coming matches with Iraq in Basra and in the City of Manila.
Gonzalez explained that the makeover that PFF proposes will make things better for the players and the fans.
“We are taking that as our deal with the PSC. There’s a lot of stuff in the stadium that will fall under the PFF, and we’re really making it better for the players and the fans,” said Gonzalez.
The PFF, according to secretary general Angelico Mercader, is set to go into a planning session to discuss its development programs.
This comes amidst plans from FIFA to hand more financial assistance amounting $8 million (estimated at P445.164 million) to member associations, including the PFF, in the next five years.
The proposed funding will support the programs and activities of member associations, including the PFF, under its new president John Gutierrez.
Officials of the world governing body of football made this assurance last week when the FIFA Council met in Zurich and unanimously approved the Annual Report for 2023.
The assistance is listed as one of the 11 goals of FIFA, contained in its Strategic Objectives for the Global Game: 2023-2027 Plan.
“Every member association is entitled to receive at least $8 million of development funding during this four-year period, with further support for FIFA Member Associations with lower turnover, and additional funds for zonal/regional associations and confederations,” said the FIFA Council in revealing their goals for the association.
The FIFA Council has unanimously approved the Annual Report 2023, which confirms the body’s exceptionally healthy and sustainable situation, with record investment in football development of $2.25 billion.
The Council has allocated the amount for the entire 2023-2026 cycle as part of the FIFA Forward 3.0 Program.
“Investment in football is both our responsibility and our obligation to our 211 FIFA Member Associations, as well as a form of support for the six confederations and the various zonal/regional associations, and through FIFA Forward,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino in a statement.
The PFF, during the time of Mariano “Nonong” Araneta as president, already received a total $11.4 million (P634.358 million) from the FIFA Forward program from its first two cycles, which had an estimated $2.8 billion made available to member associations.