Beyond the Scoreboard with Michael Kempter

There are a lot of reasons to be excited about Philippine football nowadays. No doubt, the game has been made more popular. 

Full sized stadiums, fields, and turfs have been sprouting up all over the country.

Cherry Turf

Moa Sky Pitch

New Clark City Stadium

These, along with various exciting tournaments and formats, are all designed to promote “the beautiful game” to the Filipino public.

At the pinnacle all these, of course, would be our flag carriers — specifically the seniors teams of the Azkals and the Filipinas.

During their most recent campaign where our boys prevailed 4-2 against a very game Maldives team, the Filipino football faithful got a firsthand look at our players on the field. Apart from securing the victory, we were also given a lot of other reasons to add on to our current excitement level.

Though he only played the first half of the match, Michael Kempter was one of the players that stood out for us. In fact, Maldives was able to get their 2 goals when he was already on the bench.

 “It was part of the plan to play only the first half to give minutes to the younger guys.” He said. Among other things, overall the team really followed the game plan for that match. 

To the uninitiated, the position that Kempter plays, left-back, is one of the toughest and most physically demanding in the game of football. He not only covers this position for the nationals but for his pro team Grasshopper Club Zürich as well.

Michael Kempter, now 30, has been playing football for more than 10 years including his youth career. By all accounts, that’s already a lengthy and successful football career. But Michael is far from done despite having gone through various injuries.

 “So, I grew up in Switzerland. Before I played for FC Zurich, I made it from the youth to the first team. So, now I’m already 9 years in this Super League, but I got two ACLs. It’s always challenging with the injuries, but I keep going and going. And here I am.”

Health, nutrition, strength and conditioning, and physical fitness are the bare minimum requirements for playing competitive football at any level, let alone in Europe, where the sport is ultra popular. Of course, there’s also the mental aspect of overcoming injuries and wanting to continue to play at the highest level. 

The rigor of rehab alongside the good habits that he has built over the years is what allows Michael Kempter to still give his best on the field today. 

No doubt, Michael and his teammates will inspire the next generation of aspiring Azkals. To those young dreamers, this is what he had to say.

“First thing to say, every challenge you’re facing, keep going. Believe in yourself.” With pride, Kempter shared. 

Aside from inspiring the Filipino youth with his dedication and work ethic, Michael Kempter has also caught the attention of many for his impressive physique. His fit and athletic build is hard to miss—lean, strong, and clearly the result of consistent training and discipline. Whether he’s on the field or off it, he carries that natural confidence that comes with being in great shape. It’s no surprise that people are not only looking up to him as an athlete, but also taking notes on how he manages to stay in peak form.  

In some ways, he’s just like us – a self-confessed anime aficionado, specifically of Solo-levelling, his fondness of Sinigang, his love for Philippine beaches and his being close to his family, among other things were all part of our short and sweet encounter with him.

With a cup of coffee in tow, Michael basked in the warm sunlight which he later on shared he would miss as he’s set to fly back up to the cold Swiss mountain ranges.

But fret not Michael. Before long you’ll be back as we have another match with Tajikistan on June 10 where we expect you to be on your A-game!

We’ll have a bowl of hot Sinigang on standby with your name on it. Just give us a call. 😉