Carles Cuadrat takes charge of a training session
Sportshadow got the opportunity to interview the head coach of the Philippines Football Team, Carles Cuadrat. The former Barcelona physical trainer and conditioning coach discussed a myriad of topics, such as what makes players like Andres Iniesta stand out, his current stint with one of the teams still vying for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification, the recent failures of the Indian Football Team, and much more.
Carles Cuadrat on Andres Iniesta
His understanding of the game, his ability to always make the best decision the play offers, to see the best pass, the best run, to manage space and timing is what made him special. Pedri also has same attributes. La Masia is certainly producing top players in those positions.
Carles Cuadrat on appointment of Hansi Flick as Barcelona manager
Everyone is happy with Hansi, but I don't think it will set a trend to bring always foreigners. He was simply chosen because, at that time, there didn't seem to be anyone prepared in the B team or with a La Masia background to take over the first team.
It must be acknowledged that Laporta has a knack for starting projects with coaches who later have been successful at Barcelona. It happened when he brought in Rijkaard for his first project in 2003, and it's happened again 20 years later with Flick in 2023.
Carles Cuadrat on leaving Catalonia for Turkey in 2009
Top professional football will always be made up of players of the highest quality. So at Galatasaray I found a squad with Elano, Harry Kewell, Lucas Neil, Milan Baros, and Arda Turan.
The training sessions were spectacular, and the team functioned very well. Turkey has a very strong football culture.
Did the former Bengaluru and East Bengal head coach consider applying for the Indian national team head coach job?
I'm very happy managing the Philippine national football team. I've been able to bring my coaching staff, and together with Albert Roca and Dimas Delgado, we're building a very exciting project, with the possibility of qualifying the team for the 2027 AFC Cup.
I love Indian football, and I left many friends and acquaintances there, but right now I'm 100% focused on my national team.
Carles Cuadrat on India crashing out of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification
Carles Cuadrat during his time as East Bengal manager
Unfortunately, the Indian Football Team hasn't had the chance to stabilize. Manolo Marquez was only in charge for eight games, and now Khalid has only been there for seven.
This means a lot of changes in players, playing systems, and training methods. The team hasn't had time to consolidate and create structures that help them achieve results.
Cuadrat weighs in on the topic of whether having OCI players in the mix could help development of young players in Asian countries like Philippines and India
Undoubtedly. The recent success of the Philippines national team, climbing 10 places in the FIFA rankings since my arrival, are based on a solid foundation of players developed at clubs like Werder Bremen, Brighton, Atlético de Madrid, etc.
Knowing how much youth football in India needs to improve—with better programs, better competitions, and better coaches—having access to players from European leagues would immediately raise the level.
Cuadrat on difference between Europe and Asia's technical levels and infrastructure to support the technical learnings
Very, very far. European football is highly professionalized. Any team in Cyprus or Denmark has a structure that is light years ahead of any club in India or the Philippines. There's still a long way to go.
The top Asian footballing nations, like Saudi Arabia, Japan, or Qatar, already have very high levels of investment, but other countries have decades of improvement ahead of them to become competitive.
How different is it to manage a national team when compared to being with a football club?
They are different jobs, yes. With the national team, you have a different kind of relationship with the players. You visit them occasionally to watch their matches, but usually you watch their games through football apps and call or write to them to see how their season is going.
For these four months, they will continue playing with their clubs, and we will monitor their progress and prepare the appropriate squad for the March match against Tajikistan to determine the group winner.
Cuadrat on Philippines' do-or-die game against Tajikstan in March
We have a very competitive team, with players who have extensive experience in top European and Asian leagues, as well as in UEFA and AFC international competitions.
It's true that Tajikistan is usually present in these top Asian competitions, so they are the favorites. But I have no doubt that we can win this match and make history.
At home, the result was 2-2, but we had more chances and were the better team. We are eager for the match in Dushanbe this coming March.
Cuadrat on Dro Fernandez and whether he could turn up for Philippines in the future
Last week I was at Camp Nou watching Barça vs. Atlético Madrid, and Dro played for over 20 minutes. He did very well.
He's only 17 years old and working hard for his future, and for now he's traveling with Spain's youth national teams, playing an important role in the tournaments where they represent Spain.
We'll have to wait and see how he continues to develop. He's clearly a product of the Barça academy, and hopefully he can become a great professional, because he certainly has the talent.
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