It was a bittersweet moment when I decided to step away from my post at Newport County. After all, it was the only domestic team I had managed for so long. Had it really been 19 years? Where did all the time go? Did I make the fans proud?
19 years ago Newport County went on a limb and hired a foreign manager to take over their semi-professional team. Back then, what was there to lose? Newport had just promoted to the Blue Square Premier but that wasn't anything momentous. So even if this Filipino coach was in over his head, at worst they demote and a lesson is learned. The lesson learned was that we were able to take a team and transform them from local afterthought to international power.
On the strength of my domestic success I was also given the chance to manage England and we accomplished several feats there. We won the World Cup, the European Football Championships, and the Confederations Cup. It felt good to bring national success to the nation that I coached in for so long.
In the end, my success for both club and country led to the number one ranking in the Hall of Fame. It took quite some time but I was finally able to run down Ernst Happel and Sir Alex Ferguson. Not bad company to keep for this unknown foreigner.
So why the abrupt exit? Some will tell you that I grew tired of coaching. What else was there to accomplish? Some will tell you that I wanted to go home to my native Philippines to enjoy life away from football. And some will tell you that I had found a new challenge. Something different, yet so similar.
19 years ago Newport County went on a limb and hired a foreign manager to take over their semi-professional team. Back then, what was there to lose? Newport had just promoted to the Blue Square Premier but that wasn't anything momentous. So even if this Filipino coach was in over his head, at worst they demote and a lesson is learned. The lesson learned was that we were able to take a team and transform them from local afterthought to international power.
On the strength of my domestic success I was also given the chance to manage England and we accomplished several feats there. We won the World Cup, the European Football Championships, and the Confederations Cup. It felt good to bring national success to the nation that I coached in for so long.
In the end, my success for both club and country led to the number one ranking in the Hall of Fame. It took quite some time but I was finally able to run down Ernst Happel and Sir Alex Ferguson. Not bad company to keep for this unknown foreigner.
So why the abrupt exit? Some will tell you that I grew tired of coaching. What else was there to accomplish? Some will tell you that I wanted to go home to my native Philippines to enjoy life away from football. And some will tell you that I had found a new challenge. Something different, yet so similar.
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