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| Full name | United City Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Golden Boys | ||
| Short name | UCFC | ||
| Founded | 2012 (as Ceres La-Salle ) 2020 (as United City ) | ||
| Ground | New Clark City Athletics Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 20,000 | ||
| Owner | United City Football Company Inc. | ||
| President | Eric Gottschalk | ||
| Head coach | Ramon Tribulietx | ||
| League | Philippines Football League | ||
| 2024 | Philippines Football League, 6th of 15 | ||
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United City Football Club is a Philippines professional football club that last competed in the Philippines Football League, the top-tier league of football in the Philippines.
From 2012 to 2020, the club was known as Ceres (founded as Ceres–La Salle; renamed Ceres–Negros in 2017, when it joined the PFL) and was associated with Ceres Liner, a bus company owned by Leo Rey Yanson, the club owner and chairman during that period. As Ceres, its home venue was Panaad Stadium in Bacolod, Negros Occidental.
As Ceres–La Salle, their first major success in the United Football League (UFL) was winning the UFL Division 2 title in 2014, earning them promotion to the first division. Since then, they have won the UFL FA League Cup (2014) and the UFL Division 1 title (2015). The club also won the PFF National Men's Club Championship twice (2012–13 and 2013–14). As Ceres–Negros, they won the PFL title in three consecutive seasons: 2017 through 2019, as well as the 2019 Copa Paulino Alcantara. In 2019, they completed the domestic double without a single loss. In 2021, The club made their debut in the AFC Champions League.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic which affected Ceres Liner operations, Yanson was forced to sell the club through the help of Emirati-Philippine sports marketing firm MMC Sportz Asia. MMC negotiated the deal on behalf of the new owners who registered the entity as United City Football Company Inc., retained most of the Ceres players and renamed the club to United City.
In February 2023, United City was forced to withdraw from the PFL over financial and legal issues caused by the default of payments by its Singapore investor, Riau Capital Live.
United City returned to the PFL in the 2024 season.[1] They withdrew yet again in the following season.
- ^ "UCFC ALERT". United City Football Club. February 13, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2024.