30,000 spectators instead of GC siding Kempter on the parallel world of the Philippines-Nati: "It's constant screaming"

Michael Kempter was demoted to the U21s at GC - and led the Philippines national team to one of its greatest successes in decades as captain. A conversation about contrasts, perseverance and a slightly different football culture.

Michael Kempter comes straight from physiotherapy on the campus in Niederhasli to a café in Zurich's Kreis 6 district. He is fine, he is not injured and the physio is more of a precautionary measure. Because Kempter certainly doesn't want to take any risks in his current situation. After all, the summer is all about finding a new club.

The 30-year-old is currently stuck in GC's U21 squad and was dropped from the first-team squad in the fall. At a time when he is in rehab and recovering from his third cruciate ligament operation. "When you're fit again, you're no longer an issue," he was told. The club wanted to reduce the squad and was planning with other players, it was said at the time: "The opportunity was never there, they didn't even wait to see how I would come back after the injury," explained Kempter. The decision to drop him from the squad was probably made by the club management.

Although he seems a little offended, Kempter tells his story calmly and collectedly. He holds no grudges. At the age of 30, he knows the football business well enough: "The people in charge don't even know me." In the beginning, however, he needed time to digest and accept the whole thing.

His contract expires in the summer, so now it's all about getting himself in the best possible shape to find a suitable new club. His path led him via FC Zurich, Xamax and St. Gallen to GC, where he is now on the sidelines. Constantly thwarted by injuries, he managed just 42 games in the Super League. Now he plays for the U21s in front of 200 spectators and is not even allowed to train with the first team.

30,000 fans who just scream

That's one of the sad parts of the full-back's current situation. But there is also a literally sunnier side, which forms an incredible contrast. From cold Switzerland and the bleak backdrop, Kempter went to the Southeast Asian Championship: sunshine, the coach's trust and games in front of over 30,000 spectators.

The man from Aargau has a mother from the Philippines and has been playing for the country with a population of 115 million since 2021. The big highlight came in December, when he was called up for the major event straight after his injury. Kempter talks about the biggest highlight, a huge euphoria. He plays a strong tournament with the Philippines, makes it to the semi-finals and beats Thailand in the first leg. It was the Philippines' first victory over the Thais in 52 years. Captain of the Philippine team? Michael Kempter.

Over 30,000 fans are in the stadium for the second leg in Bangkok. The Philippines lose dramatically in extra time. Nevertheless, Kempter says: "That was an experience you can't get anywhere else." You couldn't compare the fan culture with Switzerland: "When the ball is near the penalty area, everyone just screams and that pushes you enormously. They don't sing songs, it's just constant screaming."

An artificial turf like concrete

At the end of March, Kempter is back on the road with the Philippine national team. He is there for 11 days, and in the qualifiers for the Asian Championship there is a 4:1 victory over the Maldives. It is Kempter's 12th international match. He made his debut in 2021, but it could have been much earlier, as there was interest from the Philippines around 2015. However, Kempter, who played for Switzerland up to U20 level, insists: "There was no interest from me back then. I said that I still had ambitions and was waiting for the Swiss national team." After his second cruciate ligament operation, he finally decided to go down this path. He wanted to make his debut in 2019. Corona and problems with FIFA got in the way.

When Kempter made his debut for the Philippines five years ago, many things were still unprofessionally organized: "It could happen that the equipment didn't arrive until a day later and we couldn't train." It was noticeable that money was sometimes lacking. It could happen that you had to train in your own clothes or that you forgot to book your suitcase when you flew. Nevertheless, Kemptner says: "It was always fun and pure joy."

In the meantime, however, everything has become more professional thanks to new team management, including a Spanish coach and a new location: "We used to play in an old stadium with an artificial pitch that didn't deserve its name: it was like concrete."

However, the new financial possibilities also lead to curious situations: "We have more staff members than players. They've simply hired someone for every little task. One for scouting, one for GPS, one for clothes and so on. It's completely exaggerated," laughs Kempter.

"What?! He made it back into the squad"

Although everything has been professionalized, football still doesn't have a very high status in the Philippines. "When we were in the coach at the airport during the Asian Championships, people asked us who we were. When we said that we were the Philippine football team, they just walked on."

After all, basketball is still the number one national sport in the Philippines, and 90 percent of the players who play for the football team are dual nationals. Kempter is even one of the few who speaks Filipino at all. There are two or three players who occasionally get a call-up who are completely Filipino. "That's where you notice the difference to European football. Sometimes I see the squad and think: 'What? He's made the squad again'." The disparity is still huge: "You have players like Gerrit Holtmann, who plays in the Bundesliga for Bochum, while others play at second division level."

The "little brother" of FC Winterthur

One of the Philippines' newest stars is also at home in Switzerland. He is Randy Schneider from FC Winterthur. He played his first international match against the Maldives, scoring one goal, setting up one and initiating the other two, and was voted "Man of the Match". A special moment for Kempter too: "We got to know each other at FC St. Gallen. He became like a third brother to me. We even lived in the same building in Winterthur."

The people in charge in the Philippines kept telling him anyway: "Go get him!" Kempter is not entirely unconcerned that Schneider is now also playing for the Philippines. "We've often talked about it privately and I've certainly given him a taste of what's going on there. At 23, you have to know what you want. Wait for a possible offer from Switzerland or have these other wonderful life experiences." Now the two of them not only share flights, but also rooms: "It was perfect for him, with someone who knows everything there. He felt right at home."

While Schneider is a regular player in Winterthur and has a contract until 2026, Kempter's future is uncertain. However, playing for a club in the Philippines is out of the question for him. The league is not professional enough for that and the salary would also be too low: "You earn a maximum of CHF 2,000 there, it's not worth it."

For the time being, his focus is still on GC's U21s anyway, even if it's tough at times: "I play in the first division in Switzerland, go to this tournament, play in front of tens of thousands of fans, I'm on TV everywhere. It was a parallel world. Then you come back after a month and realize: you've arrived back in reality."

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