Cambodian prince lays out plans for Police Tero FC
In an interview with Thansettakij newspaper on Tuesday, Prince Norodom Amarithivong laid out the plans to bring Thai League football club Police Tero to greatness again under the new joint partnership.
The team, which currently ranks 9th in Thai League Division 1, on Monday announced the joint venture partnership headed by members of the Cambodian royal family, namely Prince Norodom Ravichak, Prince Norodom Narithipong, and Prince Norodom Amarithivong.
Amarithivong said that he chose Police Tero FC because of its exceptional strength in terms of both personnel and players, coupled with a long history as a former Thai League champion and coming second in the AFC championship.
“The Thai League is the strongest professional football league in Asean, with high-quality players, coaches and personnel,” he said. “Many players from the Thai League have advanced their careers in international leagues and become successful, such as in the J. League in Japan.”
“This joint venture is also a good opportunity for Cambodian players to hone their skills in the Thai League, a move that could improve the sport in Cambodia in the future,” he said.
Amarithivong went on to say that as a former national football player of Cambodia, he had been impressed by the skills and quality of Thai players since the SEA Games matches in 1995.
“I admit that Thailand’s football is at a higher level than that of Cambodia, and I hope that this joint venture will help improve the national teams of both countries simultaneously,” said Amarithivong.
The prince also revealed that he planned to invest in AS Saint-Etienne, the team currently in third place in France’s Ligue 2, although the negotiations have not progressed as far as he hoped.
“This deal could be a ticket to bring French players to play in Thailand and vice versa,” he said.
As for future management of Police Tero FC, Amarithivong said the team would still follow its current strategy of recruiting young players and improving their skills along with bringing experienced players to strengthen the team.
Police Tero has its own football academy that has so far produced over 300 professional footballers, about 30 of whom have made it to the national team, among them Chanathip “Jay” Songkrasin, Teeratep “Leesaw” Winothai and Datsakorn Thonglao.
“Thailand and Cambodia have a similar work tradition so I expect no problem in working with Thai management, said Amarithivong.
The prince also expressed his shock and regret that Rangsan Viwatchaichok, current head coach of Police Tero, filed a resignation with immediate effect on Monday (November 6), just after the match that saw Police Tero draw 2-2 against Lamphun Warrior.
“Our team development plan has always included Rangsan in a vital role, as he has been working with the team for years,” he said. “However, we respect his decision and wish him good luck in the path he has chosen.”
“Police Tero will continue to use Thai coaches and will evaluate the team’s progress to consider if bringing in foreign coaches would be necessary,” Amarithivong added.
