With the experience of participating in Liga MX, Hans Westerhof spoke about the youth of Mexican football and pointed out that they don’t like to work
The Dutch Hans Westerhof He warned that a lot of young talent is wasted in Mexican football, because the player in this country does not like to work with the requirements that apply in Europe.
Likewise, some of the blame was placed on the technicians, who should work more on some specific aspects with the players, while in the clubs they should be more aware of the youngsters and train them from their young age, so that they don’t run into undisciplined problems later on.
Hans Westerhof, who was part of the Pachuca Group, worked precisely with new footballers, but before directing Chivas and Necaxa, He pointed out that when Jorge Vergara (RIP) invited him to lead the Chivas, “for me the difference between Europe and Mexico was bigger. not just from matches, (but) from players, in training sessions. Especially in the Netherlands, the training sessions are much more intense, with fewer breaks; You also have to adapt to the climate, but there is much more demand ”.
“I remember working with the base in Chivas, receiving passes and the player telling me to stop. I would tell them, ‘Okay, if your steps are perfect, we’re done … We don’t want’ more or less ‘, we want perfection, which is a big difference’. In Europe it is more demanding, I think the trainings are more specific; 70 percent of the work in training is per function and I think that’s important ”.
He said, “Europe is not better, but it is different. For example, there is much more opportunity for your own development … I say, how is it possible if you want to put pressure on a goalkeeper and you don’t know if he is left-handed or right-handed; that is what the player has to work on, he has to know if the rival goalkeeper is left-handed or right-handed, and that is up to the coach to teach him that ”.
“In Mexico the player often doesn’t make decisions, there is no leadership, but that’s the job of the coach … The ones who understood are the most successful; it happened in both Chivas and Pachuca. I remember ‘Maza’ Rodríguez and Carlos Salcido in Chivas; They weren’t the most talented, but they understood the idea, how to work on those things. Marco Fabián and ‘Chicharito’ too. In Pachuca, Héctor Herrera was not very talented, but he understood. And ‘Guti’, ‘Chucky’ and Pizarro are people who know and understand their responsibility as players ”.
Without fearing to be wrong, he confirmed that talented soccer players in Mexico have stayed on the coast because they don’t want to work the way they should: “For example, I asked the grassroots players in Pachuca, ‘Who wants to play in Europe? ‘… Everybody! … ‘Who studies English? ‘… Nobody! … You want a lot, but you also have to do a lot ‘.
He also stated: “I worked at Ajax for three years, I worked with young people; they have no problems in their own lives, they are demanding, they know what is good for them and also for the club. Last year Ajax sold players for 121 billion dollars, which is not only an advantage for the player, but also for the club.
THOSE WHO DO NOT WORK DO NOT GO TO EUROPE
Do you think the problem in Mexico is a matter of geography, or is it a matter of mindset?
“It’s the mentality of the coach; he has to be very demanding and work on specific things, and also ask them questions … For example, do you know Héctor Reynoso? He was a player with a lot less talent, but a much better attitude. I admire him a lot because he asked me, “What do I have to do to become a starter?” And I said, ‘Héctor, it’s hard, buddy, because’ Maza ‘and Carlos Salcido play because they’re fast. You’re a very good boy, a very good player, but you lack speed. And with every workout, before the workout, he started speed training, sprinting. And he did not play in Europe, but thanks to his attitude he kept it up for many years in the First Division ”.
“And the much more talented ‘Bofo’ had a lot less attitude. And that’s why he never played at a high level and didn’t go to Europe. I tell you, that is the responsibility of the coach, but also of the board of directors and the federation, because in Mexico the qualification to become a coach is not enough ”.
– Are you aware of the lack of discipline of players in Chivas? What do you think?
“It’s amazing, it’s incredible. Indiscipline is a matter of education; Therefore it is necessary to work earlier, in basic forces, to generate professionalism. You should know that your career starts at age 20 and from there up to age 32 or 33. It’s difficult, but how can you find such a girlfriend? The best talents need more attention, but also off the field ”.
“We were once at Ajax in China and one night after the game we went to a place where we had a 21-year-old player: Danny, very handsome and good at dancing … In Amsterdam it was not possible for him to relax or relax. that way, because he was known there, they asked him for pictures and things like that, but in China (since he was not known there) he could easily do whatever he wanted, ”he warned.
What does Chivas need to take full advantage of his young talent?
“For me it is difficult because I am far away, but for me one of the most important things in Chivas was to put their basic talents. There is a lot of young talent that was never seen or never had a chance at Chivas as they lacked the chances they had in the minor or sub-20 categories where you might have scored a lot of goals, but you get to Chivas and you go to the couch “.
FROM ROMARIO … TO PÉREZ TEUFFER
To what do you attribute your departure from Chivas?
“It’s very simple: Chivas had an advice: advise young people, not me. But they wanted to impose constellations on me and all that. And I said, ‘No’, I said, ‘the council is not my patron; Jorge (Vergara) is my boss. ‘They told me that a player, whose name I’m not going to say, was going to shut it down, and I said’ no ‘.
Westerhof admitted that it is not easy for a technical director to have freedom of action and gave the example of Romario, who he led at PSV in 1992.: “I remember that (for one of so many undisciplined Brazilian): ‘Romario out, you’re not a starter’. And the managers said, ‘Yeah, but he’s worth $ 10 million and if he isn’t playing today, you know who’s out? You! It’s like Messi, when you say “Messi to the bank” the board says if he’s worth $ 200 million, “it’s better you go to the bank.”
– Why did you leave Necaxa?
“There they just wanted me to use the first team, none of them wanted me to use the base powers. And they didn’t pay part of the technical staff. I paid my technical staff, but also people who worked in the basic forces. Sometimes he paid the rent for a coach’s house because the club would not pay. That’s why I said in November (2007), “I’m leaving.”
“I had no problems with my coaching staff or with my players; I had problems with the board and especially with Pérez Teuffer. It was very difficult to work with him, but that is a thing of the past ”.
WHAT DOES IT NEED TO BE A COACH?
On another topic, Hans Westerhof urged the technicians in Mexico to prepare better: “In most countries, such as England, Spain, the Netherlands, they have to study at least five or six years to get a permit. to train in the First Division … In Mexico Paco Palencia of course worked with several coaches; He went to Barcelona, he thought he was ready to train and he is not because the job of a coach is very complicated. He has to do a lot of training and deal with changing rooms with a lot of problems, talk to managers, to the press, go through things that are so important to a technical director ”.
He cited Frank de Boer and Ronald Koeman, who similarly started with junior ranks and were assistants before being succeeded as coach.: “Technicians have to execute a process, think long term; it’s not that easy “.
– What taste in your mouth did Mexico leave you with?
“It is my second country. My son is in Pachuca; I usually go to Pachuca twice a year to help the basic trainers, to talk to Paulo Pezzolano. And I also have many friends in Guadalajara. What a pity that in Europe, in the Netherlands, there is news from Mexico, almost always about drug trafficking and such. Because I see Mexico in a different way: good people, good country ”.