The Philippine Football Federation confirmed the departure of Freddy Gonzalez as director of senior national teams and manager of the Philippine men’s football team.

PFF’s announcement came late Tuesday in a statement, stating that Gonzalez had “concluded” his dual role he had handled since February 2024.

READ: Freddy Gonzalez takes over Palami as Azkals manager

“It has been one of the biggest honors of my life to be a part of this team and I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity. This was a very difficult decision to make and one that required much reflection and introspection,” said Gonzalez.

Gonzalez also said in the PFF statement that he will now “focus on other pursuits and opportunities, both personal and professional.”

His decision came a day after word leaked out that a prominent official within PFF had tendered his resignation, prompting backlash from local football fans.

Under Gonzalez, the men’s team enjoyed a revival with its semifinal entry in the 2024 Asean Football Federation Championship and several new additions to the squad that included striker Bjorn Kristensen.

But Gonzalez will be the fourth key PFF official to step down since John Gutierrez was elected president of the local football body in 2023.

Gonzalez’s predecessor Dan Palami relinquished his long-time position as the team manager of the former Azkals in January 2024 while Jeff Cheng vacated the same position of the women’s football team in June 2024 due to disagreements with Gutierrez.

Last January, futsal backer Danny Moran had a fallout with the same PFF president over the training schedule and composition of the women’s team preparing for the Asian Cup Qualifiers.