Loyola F.C.
 | |||
| Full name | Loyola Football Club Palawan | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Greywolves | ||
| Short name | LFC | ||
| Founded | 2006 | ||
| Head coach | Kim Chul-soo | ||
| League | Philippines Football League | ||
| 2024 | Philippines Football League, 8th of 15 | ||
| | |||
Loyola Football Club (also known as Loyola Football Club Palawan or LFC Palawan for sponsorship reasons) is a Philippine professional football club. They play in the Philippines Football League (PFL), the highest tier of football in the Philippines. The club has won one UFL Cup and one PFF National Men's Club Championship.
Founded as Loyola Agila Football Club in 2006, the club changed its name to Loyola Meralco Sparks in 2011 after it was acquired by Meralco and the MVP Sports Foundation, both owned by multimillionaire Manny V. Pangilinan. The club was a founding member of the United Football League (UFL)—the de facto top-level league of Philippine football back then. They played in the UFL throughout its existence from 2010 to 2016. In 2017, the club changed its name to FC Meralco Manila, upon joining the Philippines Football League (PFL), the official top flight of Philippine football. Rizal Memorial Stadium then became the club's home ground. In the 2017 PFL, the club finished at the top of the league table but ended up in third place after the playoffs. In January 2018, the club ceased its participation in the PFL due to the lack of investors. The club was then renamed Loyola Football Club, though only their youth teams and academy remained operational. The club announced its return for 2023 Copa Paulino Alcantara.
History
[edit]Loyola Agila FC (2006–2011)
[edit]The club was founded in 2006 as Loyola Agila Football Club by former student footballers of Ateneo de Manila University.[1] The team is named after St. Ignatius of Loyola, the university's patron saint, while Agila is Tagalog for "eagle" (the university's sports teams are called the Ateneo Blue Eagles).[2][3]
2008 season
[edit]Since its foundation, Loyola Agila has been actively participating in local semi-professional club tournaments; the most notable is the Lotto Titans Football Cup.[4]
2009 season
[edit]The tournament was later changed to the Republic Cup, expanding the tournament to seven clubs from the previous five.[5] In their opening matches, Loyola Agila defeated Titans FC 2–0, while their match against Superfriends FC ended in a 0–0 draw.[6] Loyola Agila ended the tournament with a 3–2–2 record, finishing 4th overall.[7]
2010 season
[edit]Loyola was one of the teams that joined the first season of the UFL which they finished in fourth place.[8] The team was then sponsored by ATR Kim-Eng by the 2011 season, which they finished 5th place under their team captain Patrick Ozaeta.[9]
Loyola finished as runners-up in the 2010 Rexona-Republic Cup after losing 4–1 to Caliraya FC in the final.[10]
Loyola Meralco Sparks FC (2011–2016)
[edit]Straight from the 2011 National Club Championships, the brothers Phil and James Younghusband led the new signed players of the Sparks in early September 2011, along with brothers Darren, Matthew and Mark Hartmann. The team was eventually taken over by Meralco and the MVP Sports Foundation which is owned by Manuel V. Pangilinan.[11]
The Loyola Sparks had a successful campaign in the 2011 UFL Cup, but eventually lost to the Philippine Air Force 2–0 in the finals.[12]
2012 season
[edit]The Sparks started their 2012 United Football League campaign on a high note, topping all clubs at the end of the first round of competition. However, the club ended its league run in third place after a 1-all draw against eventual league champions Global FC.[13]
After securing first place in the first round, the club was invited to play in the 2012 Singapore Cup.[14] In the preliminary round on 18 May 2012, they played Geylang United FC, where they won 2–1 in added extra time, advancing them to the two-legged quarter-finals.[15] They faced Burmese club Kanbawza in early July wherein they defeated them 5–3 on aggregate after a 3–1 win and a 2–2 draw in both legs.[16] They faced Tampines Rovers FC in a two-legged semi-finals and lost 5–0 on aggregate. They lost the third-place match 4–0 to Gombak United.
The club also participated in the 2012 UFL Cup between September 15 to December 17, 2012. The club topped Group C, with Pachanga coming in a close second, to advance to the semi-finals of the cup. However, the team was eventually defeated by Global ending their run.[17]
2013 season
[edit]
In the 2013 season, the club qualified for the 2013 PFF National Men's Club Championship alongside other UFL clubs.[18] The club played against Flame United FC in the knock-out stage.[19] However, they were eliminated by fellow Division 1 UFL side Kaya in the quarterfinals.[20] They've played with Harimau Muda B in the 2013 Singapore Cup opening match which ended in favor of the club. However, they only reach the quarterfinal round when they bowed out to Tanjong Pagar United in a 5–4 aggregate.
After the elimination at the Singapore Cup, the team marked their fifth appearance at the 2013 UFL Cup. They started their campaign at the group stages by beating Dolphins United in double digits.[21] They also faced Navy with a huge 9–0 victory.[22]
On 30 October 2013, Loyola set a record with the most goals scored in the United Football League, they faced Blue Guards at the Emperador Stadium. Meralco defeated them by a margin of 33 points. It is regarded as the most lopsided win in the history of the United Football League (UFL) since it began a semi-professional league in 2009.[23][24] Because of that Phil Younghusband currently leads the top scorer of the cup at 18 goals and the team advances to the knockout stages of the tournament.
2014 season
[edit]During the 2014 season, Loyola hired former Philippines national team head coach Simon McMenemy as the club's new head coach, replacing Vincent Santos.[25][26] The sparks ended their 2014 season as runners-up in the 2014 United Football League, finishing 13 points behind eventual champions Global and 3 points ahead Kaya.
2015 season
[edit]In February 2015, Loyola won their first national title after beating Global 2–0 in the 2014–15 PFF National Men's Club Championship final.[27][28]
The sparks ended their 2015 season as third placers in the 2015 United Football League, finishing 8 points behind eventual champions Ceres, lost to Global in goal difference and 4 points ahead Kaya.
2016 season
[edit]The sparks ended their 2016 season once again as third placers in the 2016 United Football League, finishing 6 points behind eventual champions Global, lost to Ceres in goal difference.
FC Meralco Manila (2017–2018)
[edit]
After the announcement of the formation of the Philippines Football League, which was set to replace the United Football League as the country's top-tier football league, Loyola, along with 7 other UFL clubs, expressed their desire to enter the newly founded league. On the PFL's launching on April 21, 2017, it was confirmed that the team changed their name to FC Meralco Manila and assigned Manila as their home city. The team designated the Rizal Memorial Stadium as their home venue.
On January 8, 2018, the club announced that they have ceased their participation in the league. The management stated that they attempted to find investors to keep the club's league participation possible but were unable to do so.[29]
Loyola FC (2018–2024)
[edit]In mid-January 2018, the club now called "Loyola Football Club" announced that their youth academy would continue operations. Their youth teams will continue their participation in the Youth Football League[30] and they have entered a youth squad at the 7s Football League.[31]
In February 2021, it was reported that the club is applying for a return to the Philippines Football League.[32][33]
In 2022, Loyola sent their youth teams to participate in the La Liga Youth Tournament in Penang, Malaysia.[34]
2023 season
[edit]In June 2023, Loyola announced through social media that they will be participating in the 2023 Copa Paulino Alcantara. They were drawn in Group A together with former rivals Kaya F.C.–Iloilo and Philippine Air Force. Also with the group were Club De Fútbol Manila, Don Bosco Garelli and UAAP Season 85 champions Far Eastern University.[35][36][37]
On 16 July 2023, Loyola lost their opening match against CF Manila, the score was 2–0.[38] Six days later, Loyola faced FEU. Loyola were down two goals in the first half, but came back in the second half to settle for a draw. The match ended 2–2.[39] Loyola then faced former UFL rivals Philippine Air Force and lost 3–0.[40] Loyola ended their three-game winless run after defeating Don Bosco Garelli United 6–1. Loyola then lost to Kaya-Iloilo 7–0, ending their Copa Paulino Alcantara campaign with one win, one draw, and three losses.[41]
Return to Philippines Football League
[edit]In early December 2023, after a five-season absence, Loyola announced their return to Philippines Football League through social media. During their comeback season, Loyola finished in 8th place, tallying five wins, a draw, and eight losses.
Loyola FC Palawan (2024–)
[edit]In September 2024, the club was recognized by the local government of Palawan to represent the province in the Philippines Football League for the 2024–25 season as Loyola FC Palawan.[42][better source needed]
Crest and colors
[edit]The club's crest is a variation of the Ateneo de Manila University seal, from which the club traces its roots. However, the seal's origin is the Shield of Oñaz-Loyola, a symbol of St. Ignatius family's Oñaz lineage.
The crest's colors are gold, maroon, and blue – representing nobility, strength, and loyalty respectively. The left side of the crest consists of seven maroon bars going diagonally from the upper left to the lower right on a gold field. The right side of the crest features a pair of rampant gray wolves flanking each side of a cooking pot. The "Loyola" name was a contraction of the words Lobo y Olla which literally meant "wolf and pot" in Spanish. The wolves are a symbol of nobility, and represents the players and fans of the club.
In 2017, the gray wolves was replaced by a sea-lion which is a representation of Manila.
-
As Loyola Agila (2006–2011) -
As Loyola Meralco Sparks (2011–2017) -
As Meralco Manila (2017–2018) -
As Loyola (2018–)
Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
[edit]| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt partner |
|---|---|---|
| 2010–2011 |  Adidas | ATR-Kim Eng Securities |
| 2011–2013 |  Mizuno | Meralco1 Maybank, ATR-Kim Eng, Cebu Pacific, Jollibee2 |
| 2013–2015 |  LGR Sportswear | |
| 2015–2017 |  Under Armour | |
| 2017 | Mizuno | Meralco1 Jollibee, Delimondo2 |
| 2018– | RAD Apparel[note 1] | Unioil1 Popeyes, VV&Co2 |
- 1Major sponsor
- 2Secondary sponsor
Kit evolution
[edit]- Home kits
        2013–14 |  2014–15 |  2017 |      2023 |     2024 |
- Away kits
   2013–14 |   2014–15 |  2017 |     2023 |     2024 |
- Third kits
   2013–14 |  2014–15 |  2017 |
Support and rivalries
[edit]Early years
[edit]Loyola being a national team player-laden club, was known for having a fanbase mainly composed of fangirls who were avid supporters of the Philippine Azkals. During the 2011–2012 season, the SparkSquad, also known as the Sparklers, was the official supporters group of Loyola. Years later, a new supporter group was formed and named as Sparks Army Wolves.
Ultras
[edit]The club's first ultras group was established during the inaugural season of the Philippines Football League by Ultras Filipinas members, who were ardent Loyola supporters. The group was originally named as Ultras Loyola but was later changed to Frente Naranja (Spanish for Orange Front) with orange serving as the club's primary color after being taken over by Meralco and the MVP Sports Foundation. In 2018, after the cessation of the club's first team, Frente Naranja changed their name to Frente 17. The group continued supporting the youth teams of the club in their matches in Youth Football League and their de facto senior team in the 7's Football League second division.
Rivalries
[edit]Loyola had club rivalries with a number of teams in the United Football League/Philippines Football League.
Rivalry with Kaya
[edit]Since 2011, Loyola held a rivalry with National Capital Region neighbors Kaya, with Loyola being based in Quezon City and Kaya being based in Makati. The rivalry began in the 2011 UFL Cup semi-finals clash between the two teams, in which Kaya went up to lead the game by 3–0 only to lose by 4–5 after an enthralling comeback from the Sparks. Since then, the UFL has had some of its highest attendance numbers whenever there are match-ups between the two teams, making the rivalry the most famous derby in Philippine club football.[43]
This rivalry continued into the first season of the newly founded Philippine Football League. However, after the first season of the PFL concluded, Meralco (Loyola) then decided to pull out of the league and Kaya moving to Iloilo City, effectively ending the rivalry between the two clubs.
Rivalry with Philippine Air Force
[edit]The rivalry with Philippine Air Force started when Air Force defeated the national team player-laden Loyola 2–0 during the 2011 UFL Cup final, Edmundo Mercado Jr., adjudged the best goalkeeper of the tournament, defiantly and somewhat controversially proclaimed his side as "true Filipinos".
The rivalry continued for years until Air Force rapidly declined and withdrew its participation in the UFL in 2015, this rivalry has mostly died out.
Players
[edit]- As of 7 October 2024[44]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Personnel
[edit]- As of 30 September 2024
Current technical staff
[edit]| Position | Name | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach |  Kim Chul-soo | |
| Assistant coaches | Roxy Dorlas | |
| Kit Salanguit | ||
| Goalkeeper coach | Melo Sabacan | |
| Physiotherapists | Jerome Sevilla | |
| Joe Esteves |
Management
[edit]| Position | Name | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Team manager | John Paul Raño | |
| General coordinator | Maryse Dorlas | |
| Media officer | Stanley Dela Cerna | |
| Photographers | Nikko Dela Cerna | |
| Carlo Miguel Nuñez |
Head coaches
[edit]| Name | Period |
|---|---|
| Carlo Rodriguez | 2010–2011 |
| Kim Chul-soo | 2011–2013 |
| Vincent Santos | 2013–2014 |
 Simon McMenemy | 2014–2016 |
| Jose Ariston Caslib | 2016–2018 |
| Roxy Dorlas | 2023–2024 |
| Kim Chul-soo | 2024– |
Honors
[edit]Domestic
[edit]- United Football League Division 1
- Runners-up: 2014
- PFF National Men's Club Championship
- Winners: 2014–15
- UFL Cup
Minor tournaments
[edit]- Rexona-Republic Cup
- Runners-up: 2010
- Stallions FC Invitational Cup
- Runners-up: 2017
Records
[edit]Domestic tournament records
[edit]| Season | Division | Teams | UFL/PFL | PFF NMCC/CPA | UFL Cup | FA Cup | League Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | — | — | Quarter-final | — | — | ||
| 2010 | 1 | 8 | 4th | Ninth (Plate Champion) | |||
| 2011 | 1 | 7 | 5th | Runner-up | |||
| 2012 | 1 | 10 | 3rd | Third | |||
| 2013 | 1 | 10 | 3rd | Quarter-final | Champion | ||
| 2014 | 1 | 10 | 2nd | — | — | Fourth | Third |
| 2015 | 1 | 10 | 3rd | Champion | Third | — | — |
| 2016 | 1 | 12 | 3rd | — | Fifth (Plate Champion) | ||
| 2017 | 1 | 8 | 1st (Regular Season) | — | |||
| 3rd (Final Series) | |||||||
| 2018 | Did not participate | Did not participate | |||||
| 2019 | |||||||
| 2020 | — | ||||||
| 2021 | Did not participate | ||||||
| 2022–23 | |||||||
| 2023–24 | 1 | 15 | 8th | Group stage | |||
| 2024–25 | TBA | TBA | |||||
International invitational tournament records
[edit]| Season | Singapore Cup | Menpora Cup |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Fourth | — |
| 2013 | Quarter-final | Group stage |
| 2014 | Quarter-final | — |
Results
[edit]| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Singapore Cup | Preliminary Round |  Geylang United | 2–1 | ||
| Quarter-final |  Kanbawza | 3–1 | 2–2 | 5–3 | ||
| Semi-final | Tampines Rovers | 0–3 | 2–0 | 0–5 | ||
| Third-place playoff | Gombak United | 0–3 | Fourth | |||
| 2013 | Singapore Cup | Preliminary round |  Harimau Muda B | 3–0 | ||
| Quarter-final | Tanjong Pagar United | 3–3 | 2–1 | 4–5 | ||
| 2013 | Menpora Cup | Group B |  Persepam Madura United | 1–3 | 4th | |
| Arema | 1–0 | |||||
| Mitra Kukar | 5–1 | |||||
| 2014 | Singapore Cup | Preliminary round |  SHB Vientiane | 7–1 | ||
| Quarter-final | Home United | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–4 |
Notes
[edit]- ^ RAD Chameleon Apparel started providing kits for Loyola since 2018. Loyola had several kit sponsors in the past but won't be included in this article since they were not playing in a top-flight competition from 2018 to 2023.
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "FC Meralco Manila bids goodbye, ceases operations". ABS-CBN Sports. January 9, 2018. Archived from the original on April 26, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ Olivares, Rick (November 8, 2012). "War is the theme for UFL Knockout Thursday". Archived from the original on April 26, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ Panganiban, Jose Villa (1969). Concise English Tagalog Dictionary. Singapore: Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-1128-8.
- ^ "Loyola, Old School booters take openers". PhilStar. November 26, 2008. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ "Women football makes Lotto-Titans Cup debut". PhilStar. April 25, 2009. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ "Palitada, Old School Football Club score in Republic football". PhilStar. May 6, 2009. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ "Old School FC keeps lead in Republic Cup". PhilStar. July 3, 2009. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ Schöggl, Hans (June 16, 2011). "Philippines 2009/10". RSSSF. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
- ^ Jamlang, Josue (March 12, 2010). "Air Force Rider trumps Loyola ATR, claims top spot". PhilStar.com. The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on January 3, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
- ^ "Caliraya FC rules Rexona Cup". PhilStar. July 23, 2010. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ Bolante, Mikkel (September 7, 2011). "Younghusbands, Hartmanns join UFL's Loyola Meralco Sparks". InterAksyon.com. InterAKTV/TV5. Archived from the original on June 26, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
- ^ Tordecilla, Jaemark (December 10, 2011). "Air Force blanks Loyola to win UFL Cup". InterAksyon.com. InterAKTV/TV5. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
- ^ De Guzman, Icko (June 26, 2013). "Global FC win UFL crown via 1–1 draw vs Loyola Meralco". Rappler. Archived from the original on November 22, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
- ^ Almo, Alder (April 30, 2012). "Loyola Meralco Sparks earn tough draw in Singapore Cup". PhilStar.com. The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
- ^ "Valiant Loyola win in Singapore Cup debut". ESPN Star Sports. May 18, 2012. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
- ^ "Loyola survive scare to make cup semis". ESPN Star Sports. July 8, 2012. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
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- ^ Olivares, Rick. "Twenty-eight teams to vie for the 2012 UFL Cup". Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
- ^ "PFF Smart National Club Championship – Round of 16". Filipino Football. December 7, 2012. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
- ^ Guerrero, Bob (January 20, 2013). "Ceres stuns Global, Kaya tops Loyola in SMART PFF Nationals". Yahoo! Sports Philippines. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
- ^ Decena, Karl (October 20, 2013). "UFL Cup: Loyola drowns Dolphins, 16–0; Green Archers demolish Blue Guards, 17–0". InterAKTV/TV5. Archived from the original on November 23, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
- ^ Decena, Karl (October 28, 2013). "UFL Cup: Phil Younghusband hits for six goals in Loyola's 9–0 rout of Navy". InterAKTV/TV5. Archived from the original on December 1, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
- ^ Manila Bulletin (November 1, 2013). "Phil scores 8 goals in Loyola's 33–0 win". Yahoo! Philippines. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
- ^ Guerrero, Bob (October 31, 2013). "Megablowout! Loyola batters Blue Guards 33–0 in UFL Cup". Yahoo! Philippines. Archived from the original on January 3, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
- ^ Guerrero, Bob (August 26, 2014). "Simon McMenemy, architect of Azkals' miracle run, to coach Loyola in the UFL". The Passionate Fan via Yahoo News. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ Sacamos, Karlo (September 16, 2014). "Former Azkals coach Simon Mcmenemy aims for club success with Loyola Meralco Sparks". SPIN PH. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ Reyes, Jaelle Nevin (February 1, 2015). "Loyola Meralco Sparks bag PFF-Smart national title". Rappler. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ Guerrero, Bob (February 1, 2015). "WATCH: Loyola beats Global to win Smart PFF National Club Championship final". The Passionate Fan via Yahoo News. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ Go, Beatrice (January 8, 2018). "PH football club Meralco Manila ceases operations". Rappler. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
- ^ Sevilla, Jeremiah (January 16, 2018). "Loyola FC to continue youth academy". Manila Times. Archived from the original on April 9, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ^ "Philam 7's Football League kicks off new season". ESPN5. February 4, 2019. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "2 teams to join PFL". Tribune PH. February 12, 2021. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
- ^ "Loyola, Laos look to make return with PFL". Tiebreaker Times. February 13, 2021. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ "3 Loyola FC teams bound for La Liga youth football festival". Inquirer. July 20, 2022. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ "Expanded 17-team Copa Paulino Alcantara to start 15 July". Philippines Football League. June 17, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ Saldajeno, Ivan Stewart (June 18, 2023). "17 teams joining Copa Paulino Alcantara". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ Matel, Philip (July 14, 2023). "Kaya FC-Iloilo banners 17 teams in revamped Copa Paulino Alcantara". Rappler. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ "CF Manila debuts in Copa with 2-0 win vs. returning Loyola". Dugout PH. July 16, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ "Loyola denies FEU; UP edges Manila Digger". Philippines Football League. July 23, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
- ^ "Davao withstands Army; Tuloy scalps Adamson; Air Force downs Loyola". Philippines Football League. July 30, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
- ^ "Kaya flexes over Loyola as PFL clubs make their debuts in Copa". Philippines Football League. August 13, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
- ^ "Provincial Resolution No. 20263, s. 2024". Sangunian Panlalawigan of Palawan. September 10, 2024. Archived from the original on October 6, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ "UFL Cup quarters preview: Why a little bit of hatin' is good". Rappler.com. Archived from the original on November 25, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ "Loyola FC Roster". Philippines Football League. Retrieved April 7, 2024.