Ceres-Negros set for total overhaul as Yanson lets go of beloved PFL champs

A revamp is underway at Ceres-Negros as the club announced that chairman Leo Rey Yanson is letting go of his Busmen.

The club is already in talks with investors who will take over from the top man behind the largest bus company in the country, as it was gearing for the much-anticipated kick off of the fourth Philippines Football League season.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, Ceres are riding on top of the group G of this year's AFC Cup and are looking for another run at domestic dominance.

However, it will have a new name should the transfer of ownership will be completed, ending an era of dominance for the club which was just established in 2012.

"This is one of the toughest decisions made by Mr. Yanson, whose passion for football was reflected at the way he poured his personal resources and steered the club to unprecedented heights since it was formed eight years ago," said in the statement.

Since the foundation, Ceres have quickly made a mark, as they won back-to-back PFF National Club titles in 2012 and 2013, thanks to the homegrown duo of Jayson Panhay and J Baguioro who played for the University of St. La Salle in college, which the Stingers were also backed by the youngest Yanson.

The Busmen then won four league titles in the process, including three consecutive crowns in the PFL, as well as the ASEAN Zone title in the AFC Cup in 2017 in which they were led by Azkals skipper Stephan Schrock and the spitfire Spanish striker Bienvenido Maranon who have lit up Panaad on match days.

They went a notch higher and got close to the group stage of the AFC Champions League, only to fall at the final playoff hurdle in two of the three occasions, both of which are 2-0 away defeats at Tianjin and Tokyo.

"Mr. Yanson was able to share his love for the game to his countrymen," the club added, as it made efforts to compensate the players and staff as possible.

Due to the uncertainty caused by the virus, the club already lost three players, including James Younghusband who retired in the last week of June.

Yanson endured a tough 2019 before completing an invincible run to the Double, as he had to contend with the family feud between his older siblings before Ceres took both the league and the Copa Paulino Alcantara undefeated as they were only held to a draw thrice all season long.

Team manager Patrick Ace Bright is crossing his fingers on the planned takeover, in which he hopes that the players and the backroom staff will be retained.

"We need to settle everything first regarding sa transfer ng ownership then we will fix naman the squad list," he said in an short chat with Pinoyliga.

Photos; Jan Vincent Dayrit/Philippines Football League