Cebu United F.C.

Cebu United (714086)
"Adversus adversis, actus rationalis"
Full name	Cebu United Football Club
Short name	CUFC
Nickname	Golden Sergies
Founded	2003, as Rayo Laguna
Owner	Itong Family via Brishos Ltd.
Colours	Maroon, Yellow, White, Black
Location	Template:Country data Cebu, Pilipinas
Manager	Tyrll Adolf Itong
Ground	Sergio Osmeña Memorial Stadium
	(Capacity: 103 600)
Coach	Iustinian Dan
League	Liga Pilipinas
Last season	Liga Pilipinas, 5th
Fan Club	Golden Sergies
Size	3568
Home Kit	Away Kit
Third Kit

Cebu United Football Club, commonly referred to as Golden Sergies, is a Philippine professional football club, based in Cebu City, Cebu, that plays in the Third Division, series 10 of the Philippine football pyramid. The club's home stadium is the Sergio Osmeña Memorial Stadium.

Founded as Rayo Laguna in 2003, the club joined the Philippine Football Federation League in 2006 and was placed in the Fourth Division, series 10 of the pyramid. The club was purchased by Tyrll Adolf Itong in December 2009 in a deal worth an excess of P300 million. The club won its first trophy in Season 26, and won promotion to Third Division.

Mr. Tyrll Adolf Itong has been the club’s owner and manager since 30 December 2009, and is, to date, the most successful manager in the club’s history, guiding the club up to Second Division in just two seasons, and winning three trophies for the club. The current club captain is Christophe Chaigneau, who succeeded Jairo Zenon.

History

Early years (Season 9-Season 26)

Golden Maroons Football Club was formed in 2003 as Rayo Laguna by wealthy immigrants from Laguna who left their hometown for Cebu. The team initially played games against other amateur clubs in amateur cups, but on 06 February 2005, the club turned professional and joined the newly formed Philippine Football Federation League, and subsequently competed their first recorded and first professional match; wearing the colours of the owner's hometown – blue, green, and white – they were defeated 3-1 by Mindoro FC.

Itong years(Season 26-present)

1	1	6	2	1	5	1	2	3	2	3	1	5
26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38
IV	III	II	III		II	III	II	II	II	II	II	I

The club continued their stay in Fourth Division for 12 straight seasons. By December of 2009 with club supporters very disgruntled, wealthy billionaire Mr. Tyrll Adolf Itong purchased the club for reported P800 million. The new management invested heavily in the club, providing state-of-art equipment, world-class staff, and buying professional local and foreign players. The club also had a new name to go with the new management, the CNU Golden Maroons. The investment paid huge dividends, as the club won their first trophy and their first promotion to Third Division a season after the takeover. The club also took part in the PFF Cup, where they shed their 'minnow' status and reached the fourth round for the first time.

The season after that, the club changed names again (to Golden Maroons Football Club). Season 27 was also a remarkable time for the club, as they again secured their second trophy in their new division, and earned an automatic promotion to Second Division.

After a two seasons of no trophies for the team, highlighted by the club's relegation back to Third Division in season 28 and a second place finish in season 29, the club bounced back in Season 30, reaching the round-of-16 of the PFF Cup. This was the first time the club reached that far in the competition. The club also won its second Third Division trophy, finishing with 35 points in 14 games.

2	4	4	5	6	5	4	4	8	4	5	6	6
26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38
Round

Season 31 proved to be a huge season, with the club winning its qualifier and securing 23 points to finish 5th in the table. United lost its subsequent qualifier against azvbest, 2-1 on penalties. After being relegated to III.10, United bounced back in PFF Season 32, winning 13 of 14 games for 39 points, which saw them automatically promoted back to Division II.

Beginning Season 31, the club will now be known as Cebu United FC, after securing the sponsorship of the city of Cebu for an undisclosed amount. The amount was reported to be used to help the Academy's day-to-day activities and training programs.

Season 33 proved a respectable season for United, finishing 2nd in II.3 and was ranked 15th in the PFF's list of top clubs. United was neck-to-neck with fellow league club Virac Islanders for much of the season, only to lose out 3-2 at home in the deciding Visayan Derby that drew a record attendance of 77,823. Cebu United finished with 29 points, one point behind Islanders, and the most in Division II to date.

United's Season 34 started bad after the loss of Philip Demape at the offseason, with the club losing to Wiser4Media FC 4-1 away. The club then bounced back in the next 7 games courtesy of Werner Roskosch, losing only one game and drawing one. United ended Season 34 at third place, bowing to eventual league winners Wiser4Media FC and runners-up M.E. UNITED FC. United's cup run proved better than the league, with United reaching the semifinals for the first time in its history, eventually losing to Manila Marauders FC, 5-1.

The next few times saw United finishing runners-up for three seasons. United eventually winning the league in Season 37, finishing 37 points in 14 matches, ahead of all champions in the other series.

Season 38 saw United playing at the top of the league pyramid, the Liga Pilipinas, for the first time in the club history. United ended up 5th, tallying up with 18 points.

Season	Cup round	Series	Position	Win	Draw	Loss	GF	GA	±	Points	Remarks
34	4	II.3	3rd	10	1	3	44	17	27	31
33	4	II.3	2nd	9	2	3	40	24	16	29
32	4	III.10	1st	13	0	1	71	8	63	39
31	5	II.2	5th	7	2	5	28	23	5	23	lost qualifier, goes back to Division III
30	6	III.3	1st	12	2	0	76	5	71	35	reached 6th round; name changed to Cebu United FC
29	5	III.3	2nd	12	1	1	78	11	67	37	reached 5th round of PFF Cup
28	4	II.3	6th	5	0	9	34	41	-7	15
27	4	III.9	1st	13	0	1	92	6	86	39	earned promotion to Second Division for the first time
26	2	IV.10	1st	13	1	0	79	5	74	40	Mr. Tyrll Adolf Itong took over as manager

Crest and Colours

Cebu United's logo from Season 26-29

Rayo Laguna Home and Away kits

The club crest or coat of arms consists of an escutcheon divided chiefly, with the top part gold, and the bottom maroon, symbolizing the club's colours. The maroon portion is charged with a "rampant" lion, symbolizing strength and courage. The gold part is charged with two footballs on both sides, symbolizing the sport, and an anchor in between the two, symbolizing the port city of Cebu.

Data from the club archives showed that Rayo Laguna players initially wore a blue shirt with green bars and white shorts in their home games and a white shirt with blue shorts during away games. After its management change in 1902, the club's home kit were changed to maroon shirt with gold trim, black shorts, and black socks, which has become the standard Cebu United home kit.

The club's current home kit consists of a maroon shirt, white shorts, and maroon and white socks. The away kit consists of a white shirt with three green stripes at the right side of the body, green shorts, and green socks. The club's third kit consists of a black and white shirt, black shorts, and black socks. The club opted to not change their kits for this season, due to unforeseen circumstances.

Sponsorship

In an initial three-season deal worth P20 million, from Season 9-12, Booksale became the club's first shirt sponsor, a relationship that lasted until the end of Season 17, when Nikon agreed to a five-season, P70-million deal. Nikon agreed to pay P90 million to extend the deal by six seasons, but after four seasons triggered a break clause because of the recession. At the start of Season 26, laboratory apparatus giants Pyrex took over and became the club's principal sponsor in a six-season deal worth to be approximately P105 million. Starting the 33rd season, the club will have thermostatic experts Memmert GmbH & Co. KG as their club sponsor in an undisclosed three-season deal, believed to be in the range of P98 million. Memmert has announced their sponsorship deal extension, which will last until the end of Season 40, worth at least P150 million.

The club has also signed a two-season training equipment deal worth P90 million with local snack mogul Liwayway Marketing Corporation. The club will now banner Oishi, the corporation's trademark, in their training kits.

The club's kit manufacturer is Nike, who signed with the club for a record P220 million, ten-season deal that may well reach P350 million by the end of the contract. In addition to Memmert and Oishi, the club also has several lower-level "platinum" sponsors, including Cebu Pacific, Mini, Nature's Spring, and Canon.

Current Home Kit	Current Away Kit	Current Third Kit

Grounds

Sergio Osmeña Memorial Stadium
The Home of the Golden Maroons
Aerial view of Sergio Osmeña Memorial Stadium
Full name	Sergio Osmeña Memorial Stadium
Former names	Rizal Memorial Stadium (Season 26)
Location	South Road Properties, Cebu City, Cebu
Built	2007
Opened	17 August 2007
Owner	Golden Maroons Limited via Brishos Ltd.
Operator	Cebu United Football Club
Surface	grass
Terraces	57 788
Basic	22 709
Roof	20 575
VIP	2 528
Record attendance	102 745, 25 July 2012 v Virac Islanders, 34th PFF Cup Quarterfinals
Tenants
Cebu United Football Club Junior Maroons Football Club

Rayo Laguna initially played on C. Padilla Street, on a close-to-the-sea field owned by the original club owners. The stadium's original capacity was about 300, but club officials deemed the facilities inadequate for a club hoping to join the Philippine Football Federation. Some expansion took place in 2004, and in 2007, a year after joining the PFF, Rayo Laguna's owners used their minimal cash to purchase a small lot off SRP and build a 12,000-seater stadium, and was subsequently named Rizal Memorial Stadium. A season later, the club decided to change the arena's name into Sergio Osmeña Memorial Stadium, in honor of the Father of the club's home city, Cebu City.

The management change proved to be a welcome blessing, as two expansions in 2009 and 2010, done to increase the seaward end, increased the stadium capacity to 60,000. Attendances at the arena reached 56,000 for the first time, prompting club officials to expand the stadium again to its current capacity of 78,500. The stadium's East and West Ends are set to be expanded in 2012 by an additional 25,100 seats, which will bring the stadium's maximum capacity of 103,600. Once completed, the stadium will be the 6th largest stadium in the Philippines.

Notable games played in Sergio Osmeña Memorial Stadium include the under-20 national team friendly against Singapore, and the historic first-ever round 6 match for the club, against eventual cup runners-up Davao United. The stadium has also hosted United's first semifinal match against Manila Marauders FC. The stadium has also played host to non-football events including UP Cebu's Cookout, live concerts of Train, The Script, and The Fray, and other sports matches such as the 5th and 6th Cebu Open, a three-week long tennis open, and the annual Cebu City Olympics.

The club also has the Paulino Alcantara Football Center, which acts as the administration and training hub of the club. Situated at Carcar City, a city located forty kilometers from the capital, it also houses the club's medical and fitness facilities, as well as the youth academy. The club purchased the 10-hectare lot in 2010, using funds acquired during the club's initial public offering in 2011. Aside from the Football Center, the club also has football centers sponsored at Sogod, Province of Cebu, and at Tagbilaran City, Province of Bohol.

Supporters

The clubs supporters hold a major stake at the club, and are officially represented in the club administration board by the Golden Sergies Supporters Trust(GSST). Most of the die-hard fans of the club sit at the Brishos End, the seaward side of the stadium. Banners made by the supporters are hung mostly at Brishos End. The club has 2936 registered supporters. The province of Cebu has the most number of club supporters, followed by the province of Bohol and the province of Negros.

Rivalries

The club has rivalries with two clubs: UnderWorldZZ, and Virac Islanders, against whom they compete the Visayan Derby. The two clubs have not met prior to United's promotion to Division II. The clubs have played each other twice in the league, with United losing both times, 2-4 away and 3-2 at home. Both clubs have also met once in the cup, at the 34th PFF cup, with United winning at home, 3-2. The win ensured United's advance to the semifinals. In the cup, the club have a rivalry with Fernando Villapando Memorial Club. Both sides have met twice already, with both matches occurring in Round 2 and United winning both matches.

Players

First-team Squad

      Main article: List of Cebu United F.C. players

As of Season 34

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under Hattrick eligibility rules.

No. Position Player 1 GK Christophe Chaigneau 2 DF Eustacio Francisco 3 DF Luciano Lenci 4 DF Valerio di Cicco 5 DF Antonio Diano 6 DF Randolph Samuels 7 FW Rommel Recto 8 MF Wilberto Jalandoni 9 MF Jowil Sahagun 10 MF Leon Corporal 11 FW Yavuz Bayezit 13 FW Enrico di Puccio

No. Position Player 14 DF Werner Roskosch 15 MF Leo Lavares 17 FW Donato Imperi 18 MF Abdul Mueed Nerida 19 MF Abdul Shahid Custodio 22 MF Anthony Lim 29 GK Levko Kurbas 32 MF Julius Gamboa 35 U Tyrll Adolf Chavez

Coaches

• Józef Drobot (Season 26-Season 29)
• Dimitri Caressa (Season 29-present)

Club Captains

• Leodinito Sabellano
• Carlito Ricamona
• Oreste De Furia
• Giorgio Petrillo
• Jairo Zenon
• Christophe Chaigneau (current club captain)

Player Records

Further information: List of Cebu United F.C. records and statistics

Club Officials

Golden Maroons Limited

Owner	Tyrll Adolf Itong via Brishos Ltd.
Chairman of the Board	Tristan Go
Chief Executive Officer	Xavier Rodriguez
Chief Operating Officer	Joe Tanaka
Chief of Staff	Eddie Hill
Non-executive directors	Shirlie Go-Ricamona
	John Rodriguez
	Leodinito Sabellano
	Kristie Park
	Tony Pierce

Cebu United Football Club

Directors	Xavier Rodriguez
	John Frasco
	Leodinito Sabellano
Assistant Directors	Francis Soberano
	Gerard Stalsch
Club Secretary	Józef Drobot
Assistant Club Secretary	Ken Cuizon

Coaching and medical staff

Manager	Tyrll Adolf Itong
Assistant manager	Jason Montesclaros
Head Coach	Iustinian Dan
Assistant Coach	Ivan Golovko
Fitness coach	Alfonso Saborna
Goalkeeping coach	Costică Neaga
Club Physician	Daniel Soriano
Club Physiotherapist	Julio Cristobal Enriquez
Chief Scout	Walter Mangubat
Club Spokesperson	Reynaldo Sta. Maria
Director of Youth Academy	Carlito Ricamona
Keeper of the Grounds	Antonio Perez
Youth Academy Scouts	Wenceslao Corda
	Elson Gitamondoc
	Denzil Penunia

Honours

As of the moment, the club has won one Fourth Division trophy and three Third Division trophies. The club has also reached the round-of-16 of the 30th PFF Cup and the semifinal round of the 34th PFF Cup, both milestones for the club.

League

• Third Division: 3

Season 27 (III.9), Season 30 (III.3), Season 32 (III.10)

• Fourth Division: 1

Season 26 (IV.10)

The Academy (Junior Maroons F.C.)

The academy is the core of the youth setup at Cebu United, based at the club's Paulino Alcantara Football Center in Carcar City. The youth academy caters to Filipino youth athletes all over the Philippines. The Academy has been responsible for producing some of Cebu United's greatest ever players including Fernando Manticajon (former Pilipinas U-20 Current GK), 詹 (Zhan) 子深 (Zishen), Dondon Ylanan, Rogelio Victoriano, Jerecho Siason, and Rodulfo Racho, first-team players Leon Corporal, Abdul Shahid Custodio, and Abdul Mueed Nerida. The current academy director is Carlito Ricamona, a former first-team player and a legend of Cebu United FC.

The academy comprises age-group teams ranging from Under-9's up to the flagship Under-18's, who currently competes as Junior Maroons F.C. in the Second Division of the Manchester United Federation. The academy plays their academy league games at 16:05 at Paulino Alcántara Football Field, a 300-seater field located inside the Football Center. Elever Soteraña is the head coach of the under 18's academy side.

The club and its academy also supports the Cebu City Government's grassroots program, a program that helps spread not just football, but also other sports in Cebu and its neighboring provinces. The club also holds the annual Cebu United Cup, a local cup that enables amateur teams in Cebu and the rest of the country to compete with each other, and doubles as a scouting event for local clubs as well. Notable players that went on to play in the academy and successfully went pro is Fernando Manticajon.