Kenneth and Adrie Koster, trainer of professional football club Willem II from Tilburg.
For the first edition of "Kenneth Smit Meets...", in which we engage in dialogue with people and their social relevance, we visit the beautiful King Willem II Stadium in Tilburg for a conversation with coach and former professional footballer Adrie Koster.
In addition, a candid conversation with 'The nicest coach in the Netherlands', as daily newspaper Het Parool describes him.
Our meeting begins with a tour of the stadium. Trainer-coach Adrie Koster proudly shows us the current renovations of the offices and changing rooms, which are intended to give the club an even more professional appearance. The club is successful.
Moreover, with the 13th budget, the cup final and a 10th place finish in the league table were achieved in the 2018-2019 season. This season, that position was significantly improved with a fifth place finish and, consequently, qualification for the Europa League.
What is the basis for these successes of the Tilburg club and what can the business community learn from them?
Furthermore, Adrie Koster, born in Zierikzee on November 18, 1954, almost two years after the flood disaster, was a technically gifted right winger who played for amateur club Zierikzee in his youth. In 1977, he was discovered by Hans de Ridder, a scout for Roda JC, and football club Roda JC from Kerkrade signed him.
Koster was already well over twenty at the time and is therefore considered something of a 'late bloomer'. He stayed with Roda JC until 1979 and scored 12 times in 56 league matches.
Subsequently, from 1979 to 1983, he played 40 league matches for PSV Eindhoven, seven European matches, and three international matches. Injuries forced him to retire sooner than he would have liked.
Koster remained active in football and worked as a coach at, among others: Ajax, Club Brugge, Beerschot, Club Africain, the Dutch Youth National Team, the national team of Saudi Arabia, and FB Stuttgart. Since 2018, he has been at the helm of professional football club Willem II.
Furthermore, Koster said about this: “In 2018, I was approached by Joris Mathijsen (Technical Director). The main reason for this was twofold: I already knew the club because I had worked there from 1986 to 1991, and perhaps most importantly, the club's management was convinced that my football vision fully aligned with Willem II's vision.”
Mission
The vision stems from the football club's mission: to consistently finish in the 'top half' (among the top nine) of the Eredivisie through attacking, dominant, polished, and attractive football.
In short, football that Willem II supporters come to the stadium for and enjoy.
That has certainly worked well in recent years. A 'sold-out' stadium every two weeks with what Koster calls: “the most fanatical and enthusiastic crowd in the Netherlands.”
Vision
“I am a fan of the 4-3-3 system with, analogous to my own style of play, a lot of initiative from players, especially when they are on the ball, and playing the flanks of the pitch,” Koster explains.
In short, a vision he never betrays and the way he has had all his teams play.
“I don't want my players to endure a match or sit around waiting.
I want them to decide for themselves what happens.
Of course, that is only possible if it fits the club's culture and the entire organization supports that vision, as is the case at Willem II; from scouting to the medical staff and from management to the coaching staff.
Moreover, new players therefore also fit within that vision, so that no concessions need to be made.
Professional football club Willem II does not have an unlimited budget, and that means they have to be inventive. It starts with scouting, which looks for young players who fit within the club's philosophy and vision.
"Due to the limited budget, our team in the past consisted largely of mercenaries; players who left after a year, after which the team had to start over again," Koster continued.
In recent years, we have managed to hire young players with an option to buy. A number of players have developed well, after which we have exercised the 'buy' option, which has added value to the club and created a more stable squad.
However, this is a development that is only possible if the entire organization stands behind the same vision and is able to remain calm even when things go a little less well for a few matches.” At Willem II in Tilburg, that calm and confidence prevail.
However, Koster remains realistic: "The football world is very opportunistic; if you lose six weeks in a row, there is a pretty good chance that you will be out as a manager. It is important, however, that the club does not panic and continues to support the chosen vision, only then with a different manager."
Our Team
Therefore, an important part of being able to execute your vision is the composition of your team.
Koster also has a clear opinion about this: “The aim is to put together a home-grown team without any major outliers, but with a few 'strong players', with a good mix of older experienced players and young ambitious players.
After all, players who have a greater intrinsic motivation to reach the top. When I played myself, I really didn't need a coach to motivate me; I wanted to reach the top at all costs. That is the kind of player we want at Willem II, with a willingness to fight for each other.
Setting different requirements: physically strong, technically and tactically skilled, and affordable. Naturally, you talk to such a player at an early stage to see what kind of player you're dealing with.
According to Koster, he relies heavily on his experience and intuition in doing so: “You have to assume that such a young player won't reveal everything during those first conversations, but by being genuinely interested, asking which position he performs best in, etcetera, you quickly gain his trust and can make a good assessment.
Nevertheless, practice shows that it works. Willem's current squad stands out due to an incredibly strong, driven collective that never gives up.
And that fits perfectly with the culture of the club and the city. “Because of that, with the support of our amazing home crowd, we are actually unbeatable,” says Koster.
On the other hand, when asked whether he would deviate from his principles if, for example, Cristiano Ronaldo were to come and play for Willem II, Koster is resolute: “No player is more important than the team and must therefore submit to the team's interests. That also means living in the Tilburg area.”
Conform to the rules we set.
However, execute his duties on the field in a disciplined manner, never fail, and contribute to a strong balance within the team.
So we have no use for a former top player who comes here to finish his career, but a top player who wants to contribute to Willem II's success and therefore becomes part of the collective is very welcome.
Also, players with exceptional qualities, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, make every team stronger. He is therefore always very welcome, and he doesn't necessarily have to live in Tilburg.
Koster isn't doing it alone? : ”No, I have a rock-solid technical staff at my disposal, a good assistant coach, and a specialist for every discipline, such as a goalkeeping coach, a physical trainer, and, in addition to an extensive medical staff, also a match analyst and a data specialist.
Strategy & Tactics
At Willem II, Big Data is not the leading factor, but supportive. “As the coaching staff, we are responsible for the fitness of our players; we work on that every day.”
So, generally speaking, you could say that our experience is sufficient to know how to get our players into maximum shape, but at certain moments it can be useful to give a player a bit more rest or, conversely, have them put in more work, with the support of Big Data.
“We train to win matches,” Koster continued. “And our tactics are always geared towards achieving this based on our 4-3-3 football philosophy. I think it is important that our players get clarity and know where they stand.”
Moreover, I was raised to believe that honesty is the best policy, and that is how I treat our players as well. I don't overload them with instructions and allow them as much mental freedom as possible, so that they stay focused throughout the entire match.
Constantly thinking in the interest of the team and considering how they can help their teammates.
Because of this, they have to ensure they are always, as they say, 'in the right position' to be able to switch gears quickly. For that is, after all, the great strength of Willem II.
Good preparation is half the battle. Supported by match and video analysts, every opponent is watched at least twice. Two days before the match, the match briefing takes place, during which players are shown how the opponent plays in specific situations.
Subsequently, the tactical training takes place after the discussion. Koster says about this: “At that moment, every player at our club knows where he stands, who is playing and where, and who is not. That clarity is important for the players' confidence.”
In the days before the match, players receive individual information about their direct opponent.
“By the way, our way of playing is never a surprise for the players, because we never adapt to the opponent and always try to play our own game, with small adjustments depending on the opponent.
Likewise, we like to play with 'pressing' on the opponent, chasing them down at the right moment, preferably in their own half.
That is of course somewhat easier against a weaker opponent than against Ajax or PSV, for example, who are able to play under that pressure thanks to their technical skills.
At the same time, in that situation, we play 4-3-3 slightly more from our own half to create space behind the defense with our speed.
“,” says football fanatic Koster. “Furthermore, our players have a great deal of personal responsibility and input. If they think at half-time that they can apply pressure earlier and they all support it, then we will do just that.”
Tips for business
What can the business world learn from professional football? “I am of the opinion that the business world can learn a lot from top-level sport,” says Koster.
“First of all, the winning mentality, real top athletes do everything to win, absolutely everything, they are busy day and night, getting the most out of yourself, some entrepreneurs could really take an example from that.
In addition, having a clear mission and vision is of great importance. Not just having it, but truly 'living' your vision.
With your entire organization, and sticking to it even when things aren't going well, that, in my opinion, is an important task for management.
Finally, we train every day to improve individually and as a team, and we facilitate our players in this to the fullest; for us, that is a fundamental principle: without training, there are no results.
I think that as management you should encourage your people to get the most out of themselves through education and training.
Finally: make your employees feel like they can be themselves, look for proactive behavior with high intrinsic motivation, and give them the space to grow and develop; that trust always pays off.
Dreams
The 2019-2020 season ended in a bizarre manner due to the corona crisis, and no one knows what the competition will look like next year.
Moreover, when asked how he sees it, Koster gives a typical Koster answer: “We start training again in the third week of July, and perhaps a week earlier, depending on when the Europa League qualifying rounds take place. Suppose we survive the two qualifying rounds and reach the group stage; that would generate a lot of extra revenue for Willem II, plus a number of very attractive home matches.”
Man, what we can build with that again is huge. It is crystal clear to me that we are going to play football again.
Finally, certainly for a club like Willem II, which has a strong financial foundation. How, when, and in what setting is completely unclear, and we have no influence on that either.
What we do have influence over is ensuring that our team is in top shape, and that is exactly what we are going to do. All in accordance with the Willem II slogan: 'We are not the best, but we are the craziest and we are afraid of no one'.
All in all, Adri Koster was interviewed by Pieter Willemse, trainer/coach at KENNETH SMIT.
Author
First of all, Pieter Willemse
Trainer Coach at Kenneth Smit
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06 - 51589627