Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 31) – Defending Philippines Football League (PFL) champion United City FC will not compete in the upcoming Copa Paulino Alcantara 2021, the club confirmed on Sunday.
“This is to announce that UCFC has decided not to participate in the Copa Paulino Alcantara. We wish the PFL and all other clubs good luck in the competition,” the squad said in a statement.
United City FC owner Eric Gottschalk said the decision to withdraw from the annual football tournament was beyond their control.
Gottschalkadded they will instead focus their efforts in defending their title in the PFL next year, with a target kickoff date in the first quarter of 2022, according to league commissioner Coco Torre.
Torre assured the Copa Paulino Alcantara 2021 will push through from Nov. 7-19, despite the withdrawal of the powerhouse club.
“Although with sadness, we understand the decision made by United City FC to not compete in this year’s Copa Paulino Alcantara based on the reasons they have shared with us,” said Torre.
United City FC is grouped with Stallion Laguna FC and newcomer Dynamic Herb Cebu FC in Group A of the annual football tournament named in honor of the Filipino football legend.
Torre said the Plate Final phase in the tournament will be shelved due to the absence of a third place team in Group A, leaving Stallion and Cebu to contest the bracket’s top seed for the semifinals.
The other clubs participating in the Copa Paulino Alcantara 2021 are the Azkals Development Team, Kaya FC-Iloilo, and Mendiola FC 1991 – all bracketed in Group B.
Kaya won the first Copa Paulino Alcantara edition in 2018 while Ceres-Negros FC – now rebranded as United City FC – dethroned the Iloilo-based club in 2019. The competition was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have been confronted with a no-win situation (not caused by us) but out of our control. We are taking the appropriate measures with pulling out of the Cup being the first while sensible one,” Gottschalk told CNN Philippines in a message.
