The story of basketball coach Johan Roijakkers from Deurne is wonderful. He never worked at the highest level in the Netherlands. Now he is a celebrated man in Italy. With a series of victories, Roijakkers has guided the lost top club Varese from the last place in the Serie A to the middle bracket in two months. “It’s very special.”
In the northern Italian town of Varese, 41-year-old Roijakkers notices daily that his life is changing due to the success. “When I’m in town, everyone says hello and congratulates me. That just happens every 5 minutes.”
It is by no means self-evident that a Dutch coach will work in Italy, a country where basketball is almost as big as football. He was asked for the job in Varese through an NBA coach friend. Once finalized with the club, Roijakkers still had to appear before a balloting committee of the Italian basketball association to get a license.
The committee includes people who monitor Italian basketball culture. “If they think: we don’t want his ideas in Italy, then you don’t get a license.”
Roijakkers received a license for life and was therefore able to get to work. He is the only foreign coach in the 16 teams at the highest level in Italy. It is therefore not surprising that the selection of Varese looked at him skeptically in mid-January when he started. “You just have to do your own thing and prove yourself.”
Varese was last and immediately started winning games. Yet Roijakkers did not think he was doing anything special. “We have simplified the game a bit and started shooting a lot more three-pointers.”
Confidence increased and in just over two months Varese has moved up from last place. The current position entitles you to participate in the championship play-offs.
Basketball journalists in sports-crazy Italy call the coach already: King Midas from Deurne, referring to the mythological figure who turned everything he touched into gold.
On social media, the Italian fans are also completely in favor of Roijakkers. After the last surprise win, the accolades didn’t stop:
- ‘Rebirth by a great coach’
- ‘He leads the team with brains’
- ‘Phenomeno’ (phenomenal)
Part of the city of Varese is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Sacro Monte is located on a mountain and consists of all chapels. “I live near the first chapel. That is really fantastic, so I have no complaints in that regard.”
Roijakkers started as a basketball player at Deurne Pioneers. At a young age he became an assistant coach at Hasselt and then Mons in Belgium. He became champion in Slovakia and turned the small German club Göttingen into a sub-topper. Until his dismissal in November last year, Roijakkers worked for the German top club Bamberg. In Italy he is enjoying the moment. “I believe in my basketball, but of course I didn’t expect this.”