Schaars has not yet thought about the next step in his coaching career: “That doesn’t make much sense.”
1 min readLast season, Stijn Schaars stood on the touchline as head coach of Jong PSV and under Schaars, PSV’s reserve team finished seventh in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie. In addition to this position in the standings, the head coach also saw a number of players make good progress in their development.
Speaking with De PSV Supporter, Schaars looks back on the 2025/2026 season. ''After the end of the season, we evaluate who has grown, who is ready for a next step, and for whom that moment has not yet arrived. We hold those talks together with the club. In doing so, we look beyond only performances. Development potential and prospects toward professional football play at least as important a role'', said the head coach of Jong PSV.
Schaars was appointed as Peter Bosz’s right-hand man in the summer of 2023 together with Rob Maas. Even in the 2024/2025 season, the former midfielder was Bosz’s assistant, and in the summer of 2025, Schaars was replaced as assistant coach by Andre Ooijer.
Next season, the former player from among others PSV and AZ will follow the highest education for Coach Professional Football, but that does not mean that Schaars has the ambition to become Bosz’s successor. ''I haven’t, as some coaches do, mapped out a career path for myself as a coach together with my agent. That has little point. The football world is difficult to predict and often the frenzy of the day reigns. In addition, the profession of coach is a craft of experience'', the former footballer says.
In addition, according to Schaars, there are also major differences between coaching in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie and the Eredivisie. ''For example, what you cannot emulate in the KKD is the pressure under which you can end up as a coach at the highest level. Fortunately, as a player I was active for many years at the highest level and often served as captain, which meant I also had frequent contact with the media'', the former professional continues.
Therefore, the former midfielder admits that he has little trouble dealing with the media. ''I handle that pretty easily. Of course, I’ve also had some unpleasant experiences with journalists. If they write something negative about you and you feel it’s unjust, then it gets to you. But that’s just how it is, and if you’ve experienced it a few times, you learn how to deal with it'', concludes Schaars.
Comments6
Zevende met Jong PSV vind ik niet eens slecht, maar ieders focus op "doorpakken" is wel nodig. Schaars zegt ook terecht dat profdruk je niet nabootst in de KKD, dat zie je gewoon in de Eredivisie. 🔥
"Dat heeft weinig zin"... respect, maar imo moet je wel durven plannen. Als je altijd afwacht, ga je vanzelf achterlopen, zeker met al die talenten die doorstromen naar Jong.
Zevende met Jong, prima basis, maar ik ben benieuwd wie echt "door is" richting prof. Schaars die zegt dat hij geen carrièrepad uitstippelt, best volwassen tbh.
"Dat heeft weinig zin." Helemaal mee eens, de voetbalwereld verandert sneller dan je selectie in de winterstop kan aanpassen 😂. Wel jammer dat we in de Eredivisie juist die druk en media-momenten minder kunnen simuleren bij Jong, maar daar win je ervaring op.
Zevende in de KKD klinkt als prima doorontwikkeling, maar ik ben benieuwd hoeveel spelers echt klaar zijn voor een stap richting het profteam. Schaars die zegt dat een carrièrepad geen zin heeft... tbh wel verstandig. Coaches moeten ook gewoon hun eigen werk doen, niet vooruitdenken als het nog niet eens loopt.
Zevende plek met Jong PSV is niet top, maar ik snap wel wat Schaars zegt over ontwikkeling. Goed dat hij niet meteen roept om "opvolger Bosz", want dat verwachtingsgedoe is echt killing.