Dutch football analyst Pierre van Hooydonk on female coaches at the highest levels: “This is not necessary for me” | Foreign football

During Studio Voetbal on NOS, there was a time when it came down to the small number of female coaches active at the highest level in men’s football. Van Hooydonk said he was not surprised. “Do you really find this strange? The football world is an arrogant world. I can’t imagine Sarina Wegmann (Dutch National Coach of England, ed.) Steps into the team’s dressing room with guests like Rafael van der Vaart…

“Why not? Well, then I wonder if you’ve been to the dressing room before,” Van Hooydonk continued. “We can say that, right? For me, it’s about a little bit of credibility you have to your group of players. I’m not saying they don’t have credibility, but they have less of a man. For me, it’s not about who’s the best; It’s just how things go.”

“Everything has to break down these days. I think that can happen, and does happen, in a lot of things in society, but having a female coach in the top league… I think you really underestimate what that would mean in away games, with the public. It shouldn’t “For this to happen to me too. Women and men are equal to me, but I’m just pointing out how much this affects the world of football. The world of football is not society.”

The former Ajax player and fellow analyst Van der Vaart then warned Van Hooydonk that he could expect a lot of criticism again, but that did not bother the former Feyenoord striker, among others. “I will not be nominated for the popularity award.”