Bienvenido Marañon finally a Filipino citizen

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Good news for Philippine football just came in.

Spanish-born striker and superstar of the United City FC (formerly Ceres Negros-FC) Bienvenido Marañon is now a Filipino citizen through Republic Act no. 11570 after finalizing his naturalization,.

After almost a year of waiting, the two-time best striker of the Philippines Football League (PFL) can now suit up for the Philippine Azkals and join the team in all the international tournaments.

During the Azkals’ recent campaign for the 2021 FIFA qualifiers, Marañon wasn’t able to join the team and is hoping to get his number called up by the national team with the recent development.

With Marañon cleared to play for the Azkals, head coach Scott Cooper is now looking to integrate more offensive sets for the Filipinos.

Marañon’s speed, lateral quickness, and striking prowess will automatically fill in the scorer’s spot in the national team backstopped by the leadership of Azkals staple gem Stephan Schrock.

As of now, the newly naturalized booter is with his club United City in Thailand and is competing in the 2021 AFC Champions League group stage.