Former Philippine men’s national football team manager Freddy Gonzalez made waves after becoming the new owner of Finn Harps in the League of Ireland First Division.

Gonzalez said he accepted the opportunity after being offered the chance to acquire the club, although he admitted that his original dream was to own a football club in Asia.

The 48-year-old resigned from his post as national team manager last year to focus on other pursuits.

“It has been my lifelong dream since childhood to own and build a football club. After my time as Director of National Teams for the Philippine Football Federation ended in June 2025, I made the decision to pursue that dream,” Gonzalez said.

“I was considering opportunities in UK football, but when the Finn Harps prospectus came across my desk, I found it extremely interesting. The timing is right for investment in Ireland. The numbers in the League of Ireland have been improving massively over the last few years, and there’s real, genuine government support to help improve facilities.”

Gonzalez said he was impressed with how the club operates and is eager to help in any way he can.

“What stands out is the upward curve we’re seeing, particularly around the academy structure, which is exactly what we want to build and develop. From my visit to Donegal, I found a beautiful country with people who genuinely love their sport,” Gonzalez said.

“There are huge opportunities to grow the club, and what we want to bring to the table is the funding to ignite that growth. The funding we provide will help develop the strategic plans that are already in place here.”

“I have experience in building businesses, and the key is to build a sustainable football business.”

With Finn Harps sitting in ninth place in the league table, Gonzalez will have his hands full as he looks to help the club win its first league title since 2004 and earn promotion to the Premier Division.

Gonzalez vowed to do everything he can to make the club competitive.

“Finn Harps has a genuine history of performing at the highest level in Ireland. The club has gone through hard times, but there is enormous untapped goodwill in Donegal waiting to be mobilized,” Gonzalez said.

“Our approach is academy-focused, with ambitious but well-developed plans. We want to get back to the Premier Division and compete there, but this will be built on a foundation of developing young players and creating the facilities the area deserves. The people of Donegal deserve a team to believe in again. We hope to deliver that.”