Louis van Gaal points at PSV

Louis van Gaal is once again in the news. That has everything to do with the possible national team coach role of the now elderly football manager. The KNVB seems to have its sights set on Van Gaal, but that does not prevent the coach from keeping his critical eye on Dutch club football. And so, criticism from Van Gaal for PSV's competitors in the race for the league title.

The new and upcoming national team coach is, in fact, not enthusiastic about the developments at Ajax and Feyenoord. Van Gaal says that both clubs have the wrong organizational structure. With PSV, it is properly arranged, Van Gaal explains in a major interview with Voetbal International.

"When I look at the Netherlands from my perspective and see what’s happening at Ajax and Feyenoord, you don’t really feel cheerful about it. And that has to do with the organizational structure plus the resulting decision-making. I don’t think it’s for me to really form an opinion about that, but in general I do note that the coaches often don’t have the power to shape that team or that selection entirely to their liking. And I think the coach is the most important person within an organization", he gets the ball rolling.

"Just take the current Ajax. There are sixteen people involved in decision-making on technical policy matters. The executive board, the supervisory board, and the board of directors. That can’t be right!"

"In any case, too much time passes before important decisions are made, for example about appointing a coach or signing players. And then all sorts of people get involved as well who, in my view, don’t know anything about football. At Ajax, there are those sixteen people but only two with experience in top-level football. That’s where it already goes wrong."

PSV does it well, Van Gaal believes, although he notes that PSV 'also can't really make a splash in Europe'. "That club does have very good management, with Marcel Brands whom I experienced at AZ myself. Plus his predecessor Toon Gerbrands, of course."

"They work with very short lines to the technical director Earnest Stewart and coach Peter Bosz, who may not be able to decide everything but is nonetheless very clearly responsible for a particular style of play and is fully backed in that. That’s how you lead a top club. Football is clearly leading at PSV", said Louis van Gaal.