Willem van Hanegem names successor to Arne Slot at Feyenoord: ‘He is very important’ | Dutch football

Should Arne Slot leave next summer, or perhaps the year after, Willem van Hanegem has the idea that his ideal successor is already walking around in De Kuip. In the new episode of the AD Willem & Wessel podcast, he explains that, according to him, assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff is one of the driving forces behind the current success.

,,He is very important in a lot of what is going so well at Feyenoord. So why change that when Slot leaves and not just give him the chance?” For example, Van Hanegem thinks that Hulshoff would be a great replacement for Slot when he goes. Not least because the players also appreciate him. “In the end, the players are the most important thing, if they don’t like a trainer, he will eventually leave, just look at Alfred Schreuder at Ajax.”

The upcoming cup final was also discussed. Willem van Hanegem is afraid of a disappointing match. “It wasn’t too much last week, was it? And now it is being whipped up again as if it is going to be a very special match, but usually those finals are very disappointing.”

Edson Álvarez has an altercation with PSV player André Ramalho. ©Getty Images

At Ajax they are happy that Edson Álvarez is back, although according to Van Hanegem that will not immediately make a world of difference. “He is important for the team because he is at the forefront of the battle, but I don’t think he is a special player at all.” Willem van Hanegem, who won four cups himself (2 as a player and 2 as a trainer, ed.), always finds Álvarez more noticeable by trying to bowl opponents upside down than by playing good football. However, Van Hanegem cannot name a clear favorite for the cup final. ,,Because PSV would suddenly be a great team again? Well, it hasn’t been like that for weeks…”

Touzani’s panna reminded Willem van Hanegem of the time Diego Maradona carelessly outwitted a bodyguard in a dressing room. According to Van Hanegem, King Willem-Alexander gave the Rotterdam street footballer, a great guy according to De Kromme, a lot of space for his panna…

Queen Maxima with a scarf from the club that will most likely win the national championship for the first time since 2017.
Queen Maxima with a scarf from the club that will most likely win the national championship for the first time since 2017. ©Getty Images

Wessel Penning had seen that the entire city had already shown the joy of the upcoming championship to the royal family. With the scarf that Queen Maxima put on as the highlight. According to Van Hanegem, Feyenoord therefore plays an enormous role in the pride that Rotterdammers experience in their city. “Those people are all very proud of the city, and Feyenoord is an important thing in that, the happiness of those people is just the most beautiful thing there is.” The championship is really coming up now. And that party? They look forward to that at the Willem & Wessel podcast…

Willem van Hanegem and Wessel Penning.
Willem van Hanegem and Wessel Penning. © Pim Ras, DPG Media

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