Van Basten and Van t Schip new coaches of Oranje
15 July: No signatures have been put on paper yet, but all
parties confirm what has been a rumor for several days
now: Marco van Basten will be the new head coach of the Dutch
national team. The legendary former Ajax striker
will have his long-time friend, John van 't Schip, as his
assistant. Bassie and Schippie
currently coach Young Ajax together.
Marco van Basten (right) and John
van 't Schip,
overseeing a Young Ajax practice. [Photo: Ajax.nl]
The rumors all started when Henk Kesler, president of
the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) announced that he
would pay a visit to Johan Cruyff, to ask him his advice.
It was common knowledge that Cruyff is strongly in favour of
his former protégé Van Basten as the new man
for Oranje. The only real
question remaining: will Van Basten himself feel that he's
ready for the job? Kesler stated that he would talk
to more experts, but a quick roundtrip to Barcelona, for a
visit to Johan Cruyff, was the only confirmed
rendez-vous. 'Coincidentally', both Van Basten and Van 't
Ship were spotted in Barcelona that week. The rumors
seemed well justified, to say the very least.
Things became more official yesterday, as Kesler officially
asked Ajax's permission to negotiate with the Young
Ajax duo. These negotiations still haven't been finished. In
Kesler's words, some detailed matters are yet to be discussed,
"that you don't just write on the back of a cigar
box". Technically speaking, therefore, Van Basten
is not yet the new Oranje boss, but everyone
- including Van Basten himself - is already talking
about his new gig. Van Basten: "The next few weeks we will
contact several internationals and talk about their future
plans. From that point on, things will become more clear what
the selection is going to be like."
But what about Van Basten's remarks that he wanted to develop
his coaching career quietly, with Ajax's reserves team? A
few months ago he said 'no' to the offer to become
head coach of the Dutch under-19 team. Van Basten's
explanation, with a smile: "As a striker I was very
unpredictable, too." He added that he is very
happy with the situation: "I really want to be head coach
and I am happy that the whole thing has developed very
rapidly."
Neither Van Basten nor Van 't Schip have much experience as a
head coach on a high level. Van Basten never served as
a head-coach yet. Van 't Schip assisted Co Adriaanse at
Ajax in 2000-2001, before making his début
as the 'man in charge' at FC Twente. He had a rough,
sometimes traumatic first year as an
Eredivisie head-coach, after which he returned to
Ajax to train the reserves. A year later Van Basten joined him
as his assistant. In Oranje their roles will be reversed.
Van Basten: "John always said that he wanted to work in this
relationship as soon as we were working on a higher level."
Six years ago, another coach with hardly any experience,
Frank Rijkaard, became head coach of the national team,
just as the Dutch were preparing for Euro 2000. He
led the men in orange to the semi finals, in which the
Italians eliminated Holland on penalties. Ironically, Ajax
boss Co Adriaanse vehemently criticized the decision of
the KNVB to hire an inexperienced, not officially
qualified coach, sarcastically referring to
Rijkaard in the press as a 'bungler' and a 'moonlighter'.
It seems, therefore, an easy guess what
Adriaanse will think of Van Basten's appointment. Three years
ago Adriaanse got himself into trouble as an Ajax
head-coach by telling a journalist who asked if he would
be interested in adding Van Basten to the club's
technical staff that "a good horse does not
necessarily make a good jockey."
Adriaanse was, reportedly, also one of the
candidates for the job of Holland boss, but once the
KNVB started to listen to Johan Cruyff, his chances
were instantly reduced to
zero. Adriaanse's press comments
on former Oranje coach Dick Advocaat ("You can never
win the European title with this man") did
not increase his popularity at the KNVB headquarters
either. (BV)
Sources: Trouw, ANP
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