Cebu United F.C.
| Cebu United (714086) | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Full name | Cebu United Football Club | |
| Short name | CUFC | |
| Nickname | Golden Sergies | |
| Founded | 2003, as Rayo Laguna | |
| Owner | Itong Family via Brishos Ltd. | |
| Location | Template:Country data Cebu,  Pilipinas | |
| Manager | Tyrll Adolf Itong | |
| Ground | Sergio Osmeña Memorial Stadium | |
| (Capacity: 78500) | ||
| Coach |  Dimitri Caressa | |
| League | II.3 | |
| Last season | II.3, 2nd | |
| Fan Club | Golden Sergies | |
| Size | 2936 | |
 |  | |
| 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)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | ||||||||
| IV | III | II | III | II | III | II | |||||||||
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | ||||||||
| 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.
| Season | Cup round | Series | Position | Win | Draw | Loss | GF | GA | ± | Points | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 4 | II.3 | 1st | 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
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 with white and yellow striped collar, black shorts, and maroon and black socks. The away kit consists of a black shirt with green horizontal bars on the chest, green shorts, and black socks. The club's third kit consists of a white shirt with two off-shoulder strips, colored yellow, black shorts, and white socks.
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 P55 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 P170 million, ten-season deal that may well reach P300 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.
|
|
|
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 | 44 548 |
| Basic | 20 116 |
| Roof | 11 664 |
| VIP | 2 172 |
| Record attendance | 77 823, 13 May 2012 v Virac Islanders |
| Tenants | |
| Cebu United Football Club Junior Maroons Football Club | |
Rayo Laguna initially played on C. Padilla Street, on a field owned by the original club owners, close to the sea; the 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 68,000.
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 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. 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.
|
|
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 | 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 | Dimitri Caressa
|
| Assistant Coach |  Ivan Golovko
|
| Fitness coach | Alfonso Saborna
|
| 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, a first 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.
