PFF taps Roca, Delgado to boost national football team

The Philippine Football Federation has added seasoned Spanish coaches Albert Roca and Dimas Delgado to the coaching staff of the Philippine men’s national football team ahead of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.

The two will reunite with head coach Carles Cuadrat, forming a coaching trio that has previously worked together in Spain, Saudi Arabia, El Salvador, and India, ensuring chemistry and a shared footballing philosophy.

“With Albert Roca and Dimas Delgado joining Coach Carles Cuadrat on our national team’s coaching staff, we are reinforcing PFF’s commitment to world-class coaching and player development,” said PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez.

“Their experience, tactical expertise, and shared vision with Coach Carles Cuadrat will be invaluable as we aim to elevate the Philippines’ performance in the Asian Cup Qualifiers, with our aim to re-enter the main tournament,” he added.

Roca, 62, brings more than two decades of international experience, having served as head coach of El Salvador and as assistant to Frank Rijkaard with Saudi Arabia, Barcelona, and Galatasaray.

His most notable success came with Bengaluru FC, where he led the club to the 2016 AFC Cup Final—the first for any Indian team—and later won the Federation Cup in 2017.

Cuadrat, who took over as Bengaluru head coach in 2018 after Roca returned to Spain to join Barcelona’s staff, won the Indian Super League in his debut season.

Roca returned to Bengaluru in 2023 as a technical consultant, further strengthening his ties with the club and Cuadrat.

Delgado, 42, enjoyed a 21-year career as a midfielder, playing for Barcelona B under Pep Guardiola, appearing in over 20 La Liga matches with Numancia, and logging 200-plus games in Spain’s second division.

He also captained the Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia and later joined Bengaluru FC, where he played a pivotal role in Cuadrat’s 2018 title-winning season.

After retiring in 2023, Delgado became Cuadrat’s assistant coach at East Bengal FC and helped win the 2024 Indian Super Cup.

With their reunion under the PFF banner, the trio will lead the Philippines in crucial matches against Timor-Leste on October 9 in Darwin, Australia, and October 14 at New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.

“PFF is focused on pushing Philippine football to a forward trajectory,” Gutierrez said.

“The gains we have accumulated from 2024 will not be put to waste; we will ensure incremental progress of our football programs because we are very eager to build the Philippines as a strong football force in Southeast Asia and beyond,” he added.