Jonk quits as Volendam coach and becomes technical manager, Kohler new coach
NOS Football–
Wim Jonk will quit as trainer of FC Volendam. The 56-year-old former player of the club will become technical manager at the number fourteen of last Eredivisie season. The 32-year-old German Matthias Kohler, Jonk’s assistant since the summer of 2021, is the new head coach.
Jonk, who extended his contract for another three years in March, had been trainer of the North Holland club since 2019 and promoted to the premier league last year.
“In his new role, Jonk will work together with technical director Jasper van Leeuwen and will be in charge of the trainers and redshirt of the first team and Jong FC Volendam,” the club said in a statement on its website.
“Kohler will have final responsibility for the first team, working closely with Jonk as a sounding board and advisor,” Volendam said.
‘Club should not depend on my person’
Jonk himself responded to the remarkable move. “I asked myself the question whether I wanted to continue in exactly the same role, focusing on the rhythm from game to game.”
“Or whether I should take a little more distance and guard the bigger picture. At this point in my career at FC Volendam, after four years of head coaching, the latter feels better to me. The club should not depend on my person as head coach and as technical manager I can add more to the foundation of the club.”
Kohler worked in the past for the German Football Association and Ajax Cape Town. He also worked as Head of Methodology at Ajax. From that position, together with Jonk, Ruben Jongkind and Johan Cruijff, he was responsible for elaborating the development philosophy of the Cruijff Plan.
After Jonk and Kohler left Ajax, the German worked successively as head of methodology of Cruyff Football, strategic advisor and (interim) head coach of AS Trencin and trainer of the second team of FC Basel.
“I am proud and honored to take over the baton from Wim,” Kohler announced. “At the same time, this change is not that exciting for us. The roles change, but the cooperation remains and the challenge also remains the same.”
