“One bus for the keeper, two for midfielder.”
That was a common joke among football fans, whenever we read of another big name signing up for Ceres FC of Bacolod.
Of course, we never knew where Ceres FC got its money for its players. Those were just jokes, mainly because of envy that our clubs couldn’t afford the players we wanted and Ceres seemingly has a bottomless pocket.
Now, unfortunately for the club, it is facing its biggest challenge yet, one that comes from within. And whether you are a fan of the club or not, as long as you follow the development of club football in the Philippines, this one will affect you.
You see, for a time, whether we liked it or not, Ceres FC had been the face of Philippine club football and it acquitted itself well in international competitions, raising the profile of the country in the Asian club football scene. I think Ceres’ campaign in the Asian Football Confederation paved the way for some of our Azkals to be recruited in the leagues in Thailand and Malaysia.
Ceres helped make that possible.
However, Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI), the company behind Ceres bus, is in the middle of a dispute involving the siblings of the company owner and a few days ago, Leo Rey Yanson, the chairman of the club, was removed as president of VTI and among the reasons cited is the existence of Ceres FC.
“Football is my passion and it’s sad and unfortunate that a team that has become a symbol of unity and a source of pride in the country and city has been dragged into this conflict,” Leo Rey told Cedelf Tupas of the Inquirer.
According to Cedelf’s story, Roy Yanson, the elder brother who replaced Leo Rey, was seen in a video telling VTI employees that players earn more than they by “just kicking a ball.”
All those hard work, preparation and training—on or off the field—reduced to that. The club chair said he uses his own funds—not those of VTI—to fund the team and I hope he gets the chance to prove that and the club’s existence will be secured.
As to the players’ salaries, well, they are all professionals and they’ve all earned that kind of salary. That’s one reason why young kids dream of becoming professionals, so they can do the things that their idols do, and earn the same things too.
Like all other business disputes, there’s going to be a long road before a solution can be found. I just hope Ceres FC will be with us for years to come and even after the family dispute is solved.