John de Jong leaves PSV. The club said goodbye to the technical director on Friday evening. The 45-year-old De Jong extended his contract with PSV in May last year until the summer of 2024.
The reason for the departure is the past transfer period. From a financial point of view, the supervisory board, led by chairman Robert van der Wallen, would have liked PSV to have sold Cody Gakpo or Ibrahim Sangaré. PSV could use that money well after missing out on the main tournament of the Champions League.
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Gakpo was in the interest of Manchester United at the start of the transfer period, but the English club was not concrete. Southampton and Leeds United did become so shortly before the market closed, but Gakpo decided to stay in Eindhoven. The Orange international did this, among other things, after he had spoken with Louis van Gaal. With a view to the World Cup, the national coach thought it was not wise to switch clubs at a late moment. Sangaré also stayed with PSV.
De Jong started in the summer of 2018 as technical manager of PSV, as a replacement for Marcel Brands who left for Everton. The 60-year-old Brands recently returned to PSV. He succeeded Toon Gerbrands in the role of general manager. Because of his long track record as technical director and many contacts, Brands has helped De Jong a lot in recent times when it comes to transfers.
“There has been a breach of trust.”
“After a hectic last week of the transfer window, I had an evaluation with the supervisory board,” says Brands. “It has emerged that there has been a unanimous breach of confidence in the supervisory board with regard to the functioning of De Jong. The management has always remained a unit, but for John personally it has been a reason to think about his future. After a few days of reflection, John indicated that an indispensable form of backup has been lost for him.”
Brands and commercial director Frans Janssen will remain associated with PSV. For De Jong, a very long period at PSV is coming to an end. As a player, he was under contract with the Eindhoven team from 2000 to 2008. He then joined the scouting team at the club. From 2013 to 2018, De Jong was chief scout.
“Every decision this summer had the support of the entire management.”
“I have always put PSV’s sporting ambitions first in everything, with an eye to the financial health of the club,” says De Jong in a reaction to his departure. “Every decision taken this summer had the support of the entire management. This staff and selection are able to make it a successful season.”
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