PSV Eindhoven PDF

I was fortunate to make contact with Bobby Robson, the head coach at PSV Eindhoven who invited me to Holland to observe his team and club in action for a week in April 1999.

PSV Eindhoven is one of the three biggest clubs in Holland along with Ajax and Feyenoord. They are all well known throughout Europe. The club has won 14 Dutch League Championships and was European Champion in 1988. Players of the caliber of Ruud Gullit and Romario have played for PSV; therefore, it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to travel to Eindhoven and experience first hand one of Europe’s top clubs and meet with one of the best coaches in the world.

PSV has a professional section, an amateur football section and a youth football section. Two teams play professional football with the first team competing in the KPN Telecompetitie (Dutch First

Division). The reserve team plays in the premier reserve league and

is made up of talented youngsters, most of whom are a product of PSV’s own youth development program.

As well as the first team and the reserve team, PSV has five amateur teams and eight youth teams. The youth teams from the B-team level and higher play in the national league. Two C-teams and one D-team play in a regional league. Because PSV’s youth football is very much geared towards developing young talent, a great deal of attention is devoted to professional training.

The youth section therefore has seven team coaches and a goalkeeper coach.

PSV plays at the 30,000 all-seater Philips Stadium in the center of Eindhoven. The club’s own sports complex, “De Herdgang” is situated on the edge of town. It is comprised of training facilities for the professional teams (including a fitness center) and playing fields for the reserve, amateur and youth teams. The reserve, amateur and youth teams all play their home games at “De Herdgang”. The complex has seven playing fields. A number of them have modern floodlighting installed, one of the fields also has a small stand and there is a goalkeeper training area, which includes a sandpit. The complex also features two canteens - for players and visitors - and an ultramodern fitness center. Acknowledgments I would like to thank the following people for their help during my stay in Holland: Hennie and Corrie Doreleijers for their hospitality and for transporting me to and from “De Herdgang”. Bobby Robson for inviting me to PSV and allowing me to observe his team, for the interviews and for letting me attend the game at De Graafschap. Pedro Salazar Hewitt for driving me to the game at De Graafschap. Patrick Greveraars and Frank van Kempen for their help throughout the youth sessions at De Herdgang. To PSV Eindhoven for allowing me access to their club and facilities for the week and to all other PSV staff who helped me out. I would also like to thank Ed Tremble (CJSA), Tom Goodman (Windsor World Class) and Pat O’Brien (Kelme USA) who sponsored the trip and made it all possible.