Football
After signing with Indian club, Guirado’s Azkals future in doubt
Reuters/Tariq Al-Ali
The future of Fil-Spanish Angel Guirado with the Philippine national men’s football team remains uncertain after he brought his talents to India last August.
Rafael Garcia, Guirado’s cousin, manager and translator when he was still in the country, told InterAKTV that he has not heard anything from the Fil-Spanish striker since learning about the signing, leaving him puzzled if Guirado would still come back to play for the Azkals.
“We’re still in the dark,” Garcia said, referring to Guirado’s future with the Azkals. “We don’t know the terms of the contract.”
Garcia added that it was a different agent who helped Guirado ink a one-year deal with Salgaocar FC, a team which plays in India’s top professional league, I-League.
United Football League champion Global, for which Guirado suited up last season, was also surprised with the sudden departure of one of their prized players, according to Garcia, also the team’s marketing head.
But just like the other foreign-based members of the Azkals, Guirado could still come back and play for the national team in its matches if his new club permits him, Garcia said.
Last August, Guirado was initially part of the Azkals lineup in their United States training tour. However, he still didn’t make the trip.
Garcia also said that Guirado won’t join the Azkals in their upcoming friendly matches against Southeast Asian neighbors Cambodia on September 5, Singapore on September 7 and Laos on September 10.
After playing in various clubs in his homeland Spain, Guirado, 27, joined the Azkals in 2011 before beefing up the already talent-laden roster of Global, which he helped in its first UFL title last season.
