‘As a trainer, you can also experience very different times’

Feyenoord coach Arne Slot and captain Orkun Kökcü with the championship trophy on the balcony of City Hall

NOS Football–today, 14:48

“A Feyenoord home game is already a party and European is especially nice to experience. Yesterday in the stadium you think you’ve had it all, but then again this is the superlative.”

In short, even Feyenoord coach Arne Slot, who is always so subdued, had enjoyed himself on the steps of Rotterdam’s city hall on Coolsingel. There the national champion, who on Sunday secured the title that had been weeks away with a 3-0 home victory over Go Ahead Eagles, was cheered by a large crowd of supporters around noon.

Feyenoord coach Slot: ‘This is the superlative’

The players were sung to, but the coach, considered by many to be the key behind the success, also got his turn. “Very special,” Slot had to confess.

“Because you know that in the life of a trainer you can also experience very different times. So if you are so popular with the supporters, that’s fantastic. But I still owe that mainly to the good players I have and a great staff. Together we can be successful.”

Bond Slot and Kökcü

A notable moment immediately after Sunday’s championship match was the intimate companionship Slot had with Orkun Kökcü, who lay sprawled on the grass with emotion. The 22-year-old captain was not entirely comfortable in his skin at the beginning of the season and struggled with insomnia. Slot helped him overcome the problems.

“I have been a listening ear for him,” Slot said of that. “And I have helped him in everything he wanted. He is a footballer, our captain and perhaps our most important player, but above all he is human. A boy as young as 21 at the time. We were there to help him as a young man struggling.”

It seems to have brought the coach and captain closer together. “Yeah, maybe it did. For me, he just always gave what you hope a captain gives you. Not only did he always lead the way on the field, but every day at practice.”

“He’s also had things in the media this season with not wearing that OneLove band. In that, I tried to stand by him as best I could. I think it’s great to notice how now also the image around Orkun has turned around. Among the Feyenoord supporters he was already very popular, but he is now also appreciated nationally as a great player.”

One of those players is Gernot Trauner, who was introduced on the platform by Slot as the best singer in the selection. “Haha, I tried my best, but I still hope I play better soccer than I sing,” the Austrian responded to that commendation.

The 31-year-old defender, who watched the championship match from the sidelines due to injury, had also enjoyed the cheers. “A great experience. I am very happy to have been able to witness this. It’s my first title. I am very happy and proud that we grabbed the title. At the beginning of the league no one will have bet on us, but we have had a very stable season and have deservedly become champions.”

Although that penny has actually yet to drop. “It still hasn’t quite sunk in. Only in the coming days will we realize what has happened and what we have managed to do. But right now we are trying to enjoy the moment.”

‘Saving old club’

At least Mats Wieffer, who swapped Excelsior for Feyenoord last summer, did just that. “You kind of imagine what it will be like and of course I’ve seen the footage from 2017. But when you stand there yourself, it’s really enjoyable. All those people. And everyone is happy. You notice that everyone lives for it.”

The festivities will continue for a while, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Wieffer will be there again next weekend against FC Emmen. “I have to save my old club for a while,” he refers to Excelsior trying to avoid the nacompetition at Emmen’s expense. “We are going to do our best for that for a while.”