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Ex-Ajax coach John van 't Schip decides to leave Melbourne Heart
The Dutch coach will finish up with the new A-League franchise at the end of this season, deciding he wanted to return to Europe after two years in Australia
Feb 1, 2012 3:50:00 AM
By Paddy Higgs
Getty Images
Melbourne Heart will make an immediate start on the search for a new coach, after incumbent John Van 't Schip announced he will step down from the post at the end of the 2011-12 A-League season.
Heart had maintained hope of retaining former Netherlands international van 't Schip, but the club's inaugural coach informed chairman Peter Sidwell on Monday he would be returning to Europe.
The Dutchman told his players on Wednesday, fronting the media a few hours later to reveal his tenure would end when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Heart lie fifth on the table, but are struggling to arrest a slide in form after a positive first half of the season.
"I'm very happy I could work in this type of environment, with the people supporting me," van 't Schip said.
"When I look at all the players that came out today, it gives me a good feeling, and that's one of the most important things.
"Being here and working with all the people inside the organization - not only with the players but also the people in the office - made me go to my work very happy every day, even if the results were not always the ones that we all wanted, also looking back at the last weeks. But that is sport."
When asked if the timing of the announcement - just three days out from Heart's derby meeting with city rivals Melbourne Victory - could have been better, Sidwell said 'you can't keep these things secret'.
He said the search for a new coach would begin immediately.
Van 't Schip does not believe it will have an adverse affect on his players, particularly against Victory: "I think it can bring more energy, even to the team and the people, because they know that something's going to change.
"They know that we're coming into the finals of the season… If it will have influence, I think it will be positive."
Van 't Schip's Heart had struggled to find their feet in their debut season, finishing eighth as the squad struggled to consistently conform to a playing style their coach modeled on former club Ajax.
But Heart's performances and football had improved in the 2011/12 season, and van 't Schip revealed he had considered extending his stay one more season in order to establish the club as a league force.
With all his family bar son Davy having returned to Holland, however, van 't Schip saw 'his path somewhere else'.
He is confident he is departing with the club in good shape.
"When I leave I know that fundament is there, that I'm happy that I could help to build on that and create that," he said.
Sidwell said football operations manager John Didulica and chief executive officer Scott Munn would lead the search for van 't Schip's replacement.
Continuing on the work of van 't Schip - rather than shaking up things - will be a priority.
"I think the philosophy of what John speaks of, about what he introduced to the club a playing level, we would want to pursue, for good reason," Sidwell said.
"It's the right philosophy, and I think that we wouldn’t want to change that as a matter of principle, if we can avoid it. That idea that he brought from Europe from his great tutors himself, is one that I think demarcates us from others. We want to hold that point of difference."
Heart had maintained hope of retaining former Netherlands international van 't Schip, but the club's inaugural coach informed chairman Peter Sidwell on Monday he would be returning to Europe.
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The Dutchman told his players on Wednesday, fronting the media a few hours later to reveal his tenure would end when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Heart lie fifth on the table, but are struggling to arrest a slide in form after a positive first half of the season.
"I'm very happy I could work in this type of environment, with the people supporting me," van 't Schip said.
"When I look at all the players that came out today, it gives me a good feeling, and that's one of the most important things.
"Being here and working with all the people inside the organization - not only with the players but also the people in the office - made me go to my work very happy every day, even if the results were not always the ones that we all wanted, also looking back at the last weeks. But that is sport."
When asked if the timing of the announcement - just three days out from Heart's derby meeting with city rivals Melbourne Victory - could have been better, Sidwell said 'you can't keep these things secret'.
He said the search for a new coach would begin immediately.
Van 't Schip does not believe it will have an adverse affect on his players, particularly against Victory: "I think it can bring more energy, even to the team and the people, because they know that something's going to change.
"They know that we're coming into the finals of the season… If it will have influence, I think it will be positive."
Van 't Schip's Heart had struggled to find their feet in their debut season, finishing eighth as the squad struggled to consistently conform to a playing style their coach modeled on former club Ajax.
But Heart's performances and football had improved in the 2011/12 season, and van 't Schip revealed he had considered extending his stay one more season in order to establish the club as a league force.
With all his family bar son Davy having returned to Holland, however, van 't Schip saw 'his path somewhere else'.
He is confident he is departing with the club in good shape.
"When I leave I know that fundament is there, that I'm happy that I could help to build on that and create that," he said.
Sidwell said football operations manager John Didulica and chief executive officer Scott Munn would lead the search for van 't Schip's replacement.
Continuing on the work of van 't Schip - rather than shaking up things - will be a priority.
"I think the philosophy of what John speaks of, about what he introduced to the club a playing level, we would want to pursue, for good reason," Sidwell said.
"It's the right philosophy, and I think that we wouldn’t want to change that as a matter of principle, if we can avoid it. That idea that he brought from Europe from his great tutors himself, is one that I think demarcates us from others. We want to hold that point of difference."
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