Support for Afellay’s decision: “It’s not an easy job.”

Last weekend, Ibrahim Afellay announced that he would stop as assistant coach to Peter Bosz. During the winter break, the former midfielder was still appointed as a replacement for his former teammate André Ooijer, and after half a season, Afellay therefore thinks it’s time to call it quits.

Peter Bosz said on NOS Studio Voetbal that he is annoyed that Afellay is stopping as his assistant. PSV icon Willy van de Kerkhof, on the other hand, understands the decision of the former captain all too well.

''Being an assistant trainer isn’t an easy job. You’re working as an assistant 24 hours a day without having anything to say'', Willy tells in the Willy and René Podcast from Omroep Brabant, referring to the fact that Afellay had expected to have more input in his role as assistant trainer.

Willy knows that Afellay is not the only one who suffered from the same problem since Ooijer had already stepped down earlier this season as an assistant coach because of the same issues. ''It’s going to take a lot of time, old man,'' he told me. Yes, he still calls me grandpa. ''His two girls are my grandchildren,'' Willy continues.

The grandchildren of Willy sometimes confuse their grandfather with René. "Those daughters of André also sometimes say 'hey grandpa' to me. Then I say: I'm grandpa, but not yours," René said.

Both brothers expect that despite all the rumors there will be no major exodus coming next summer. ''I’ll have to wait and see. Maybe Saibari will be the only one later on. I still have to see about Pepi too,'' René says firmly.

''If everyone plays a good World Cup, and I sincerely wish that for them, then something could still happen. But if they play an average World Cup, then I still have to see who will be going at our place,'' Willy said.