‘Know the club like no other’
NOS Soccer–
Bruggink on new coach Twente: ‘For current affairs you have to be with Jan!’
Twelve years ago Arnold Bruggink concluded his soccer career at FC Twente. Now he is back at the club, as technical director. Until July 1 still under the wings of Jan Streuer, after that the 45-year-old Bruggink will be ultimately responsible.
“I feel very much that this is the moment to start doing this,” said the former international, who went to work as a television analyst, among other things, after his soccer career, at the press presentation Tuesday.
“I did always have this position in the back of my mind. I went to a lot of clubs, did courses, so I was always thinking that there would come a time when I would do something else.”
Bruggink: ‘Never had ambition to become a trainer’
“Because, first of all, I think soccer is super fun,” Bruggink explains. “I think that’s the most important thing. I never had the ambition to become a trainer, but the policy side has always interested me enormously.”
“I always look at how clubs are doing, what is happening and in what way. Then you have your own ideas about that: how would you set that up yourself, how would you do that yourself. And that will happen now,” laughs the new technical director of FC Twente.
That Bruggink is a child of the club, he sees mainly as an advantage for his new position. “I know the club like no other. I know the history of the club, know where the club comes from. I have seen and experienced all that.”
Streuer, who is still in final charge at Twente until July 1, considers Bruggink “a fine choice.” “The only drawback is his experience. He is a guy from the club, comes from the region, has played at a high level himself, was a good player, still played with the Dutch national team, but it remains to be seen whether he is also a good technical director.”
“It is a certain risk,” Streuer acknowledged. “But the confidence is there that he could do it.”
FC Twente faces a difficult summer: five players have expiring contracts. Part of the transfer income must be compulsorily paid off to pay off the huge debt to the municipality. It hasn’t stopped Bruggink from stepping in now. “There is no such thing as an ideal moment.” Streuer commented, “He can get right to work…”
