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It’s Official: Van Marwijk team manager

March 3rd, 2008 | By: Jan | 14 Comments »

Roving reporter Goose mentioned it: it’s all signed, sealed and delivered. Bert van Marwijk will take over from Marco van Basten after the EC2008.

In the next weeks, one can expect the assistants to be confirmed. It’s already certain that Cocky Voorn, Bert’s long-time collaborator will join him (the two started working together in Sittard) and Frank de Boer and Phillip Cocu are mentioned as the other two right hand men.

In Rotterdam, people are relieved. At last clarity. Not so much because they want Bert to go, but it did take a long time - since October 2007 - to conform this deal. So now, Feyenoord can move forward with their new coach. The media have pushed Verbeek (Heerenveen) and Jans (Groningen), some experts would like to see Martin Jol but the die-hard fans ask for Mario Been. The former Feyenoord number 10 and current NEC manager is also the favorite for Willem van Hanegem, Feyenoord’s icon. “What can Verbeek do, that Been can’t? Mario worked here, knows the club inside out, knows the culture and has done wonderful in Nijmegen.”

Van Marwijk will concentrate fully on Feyenoord now. He is not thinking of leaving the club now, although the results in the last months were horrible. Manager Peter Bosz: “Some people think it has to do with Bert’s talks about Oranje. It’s bull. There is no proof for that, Bert is working as hard as ever.”

Van Marwijk will be reunited with former Feyenoord talent Robin van Persie, with whom he had a stressful relationship. “Well, we’re some years further down the line. Both of us. I am looking forward to working with the best players of the nation.”

Tags: Bert van Marwijk, Group C, Mario Been, Oranje, Robin van Persie, The Netherlands

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Comments

By John | March 3rd, 2008 at 7:30 pm

Sounds to me like one turd is replacing another turd in the great toilet that is the Holland national team.

Posted from United States

By finnster01 | March 3rd, 2008 at 9:31 pm

Well at least the flushing mechanism seems to be working quite well.

Maybe you should try it yourself?

Posted from United States

By Jan | March 3rd, 2008 at 9:59 pm

@ John: WHAT?????

Posted from Australia

By Ian | March 3rd, 2008 at 11:01 pm

Turd? Anyway, so Van Marwijk will be the manager for the WC qualifiers then? Will that be his first match, or are there late-summer friendlies planned? As the Scotland blogger here, I’m just curious, no real reason.

By Jan | March 3rd, 2008 at 11:56 pm

Hi Ian, I think there will be some friendlies before Bert takes on the qualifiers. Seems to be the tradition. Haven’t seen anything on that, though. Bert will finish the season at Feyenoord - till further notice that is - and will only be called in to the KNVB if they discuss stuff that applies to the WC qualifications. Howw are the Scots doin’?

Posted from Australia

By Ian | March 4th, 2008 at 12:35 am

Pretty well - we have our first friendly under our own new coach this month. All we have to do is get the Icelandic and Macedonian coaches replaced, and it’ll be an all-newcomers coaching group.

By John | March 4th, 2008 at 12:57 am

I’m sorry for my comment earlier, but it’s just that I would have preferred another manager to take over, rather than Van Marwijk. Hopefully though, he will usher in better days, but I just can’t wait for Van Basten, or Superman, or whoever that is, to leave Holland alone.

Posted from United States

By Miguel Rosado | March 4th, 2008 at 1:32 am

Hope the best for him and let’s think positive.

By simon | March 4th, 2008 at 1:35 am

I’m not sure about this choice. I think Bert van Marwijk reminds pretty much about Dick Advocaat in many ways.

By goose | March 4th, 2008 at 2:34 am

Think Bert will be just fine… al he needs to do is try and make Oranje a real team, think vMarwijk is great in givin players confidence, unlike vBasten who made all his players feel very insecure

@John; like your style!! haha

Posted from Netherlands

By Jan | March 4th, 2008 at 2:47 am

I like Bert as well. Let’s see how it pans out.

Posted from Australia

By finnster01 | March 4th, 2008 at 9:04 am

Ian,
Norway’s coach is still the same actually, Hareide. I wish we had a new one though. Hareide is too much into PlayStation, player love fests and losing friendlies to Wales reserves.

Good luck to Scotland, hopefully you’ll need a lot of it.

Posted from United States

By ferenc | March 4th, 2008 at 9:13 am

it seems that he’s a nice person. hope that he’ll do a great job at oranje.

Posted from Hungary