Albert Capellas swears he will have a special place in his heart for the country as he steps down as head coach of the Philippine national men’s football team.

In a statement, the 57-year-old Spanish mentor thanked the squad for allowing him to share his knowledge and expertise.

The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) announced that assistant coach Carles Cuadrat, also from Spain, will be taking over as interim coach.

“Together, we have enjoyed an inspiring journey and have proven that Filipino football has a promising generation of young players with the potential to bring great pride and success to the country. I am sincerely grateful for the time we have shared and for the support and kindness I’ve received from the entire Filipino football community,” said Capellas, who resigned owing to personal reasons.

“I will always carry these memories with me and wish the Federation and the team continued growth and success in the years to come.”

Under Capellas’ term, the Philippines had four wins, three draws, and three losses with a play style that is possession-based.

His biggest feat with the Nationals was the 2-1 shock victory over powerhouse Thailand in the first leg of the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup last December.

The last time the Filipinos defeated the Thais in football was back in 1972 in the Jakarta Cup.

PFF director for national senior teams Freddy Gonzalez said they will continue the system Capellas introduced to the squad to ensure consistency, especially with the Philippines facing Tajikistan on 10 June for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers at the New Clark City Stadium in Capas, Tarlac.

“Albert left us with a blueprint to follow and we thank him for bringing Carles on board, enabling him to be the interim head coach and provide continuity for what Albert has started. Now is the time to focus on the match with Tajikistan and push to be top of the group and focus on qualifying for the Asian Cup,” Gonzalez said.

“We are grateful for his service, and wish him well. I continue to consider him a friend.”