Spanish rise in Dutch football: mainly in mentality, there's a lot to learn. Once the Netherlands was a trendsetter, but in today's football, Spain has been the promised land for years. And there's a lot to say for it, as reigning European and newly crowned world champion. Spanish success is now also trickling down to Dutch football fields. Feyenoord is signing Javi López, the third Spaniard of the transfer summer, the staff of both Ajax and Jong Ajax is mainly Spanish, and next week Xavi will be presented in Zeist as national coach. The Spanish influence is undeniable there. How can they contribute to Dutch football culture? Who thinks of Spain, will quickly think of beautiful football. Attacking, dominating with possession, many short passes, and good basic technique.

Develop or win? In a certain sense, it looks like the Dutch ideal image, how it has been tried to shape it from olden days. According to Hedwiges Maduro, who has played for years at the highest level in the Netherlands and Spain, the greatest gain is mainly in mentality. "In Spain, footballers and coaches grow up with only one thing in mind: winning. That's what it's all about. In the Netherlands, we are raised with the principle that in youth it's not about winning, but about developing. That's a big difference." The KNVB has not kept track of results from the youngest youth since 2019, to put pleasure first and reduce pressure. The football association has set a general goal for each age group. Only from the under-18 teams does it start to be about 'performing as a team in the competition'. "Trainers of the younger teams can hide behind that after a defeat", thinks Maduro. "Then they say it's not about the result, but about the development of players. In Spain, they say: first win and from there develop." ## Everywhere top trainers Correspondent Edwin Winkels has been living in Spain since 1988. He saw back then how Johan Cruijff FC Barcelona (also) as a trainer took his hand. Spanish football learned from the Dutch then. Now it's the other way around. "Certainly after the won World Cup, everyone is looking again with admiration at how Spain manages to hold on to its own game idea. The youth teams have been doing well for years, just like trainers abroad." "Think of Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique, Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso, Unai Emery, Andoni Iraola. They generally let their team play nice football and achieve success." From Míchel Sánchez at Ajax and Xavi at Oranje, Maduro expects that they not only bring their game philosophy, but also their passion. "We stand as Dutch coaches often quietly and controlled along the line and find their emotions exaggerated, but that behavior comes from the will to win. That's not played." ## Obsessed with the game Maduro played most of his matches with Emery as coach, both at Sevilla and Valencia. The 54-year-old Spaniard is currently working at Aston Villa, with whom he won his fifth(!) Europa League in his coaching career last season. Maduro recognizes the Spanish fire in Emery. "He is obsessed with the game. I was recently visiting in England and sat with him and the director of Villa to lunch. Suddenly he gets up and walks away because 'he' has an idea that he still needs to look back at a certain match. That's in his head and he has to do that." "Or look at Guardiola. He has a hatred for assistants who drink a glass of wine after a defeat. He says he doesn't eat and doesn't sleep because he wants to suffer. It's extreme, but Spanish footballers have that too. They can cry after a loss match." ## Don't complain And what can Dutch footballers still learn from their Spanish teammates? "Don't complain", says Maduro. "In Spain, you address a coach with mister and if he says you have to run twenty rounds around the field, you do that. In the Netherlands, players ask first why that's necessary." Maduro got a glimpse into the kitchen of many clubs over the past few months, including Valencia and Villarreal. "Training sessions are structured there, it looked like I was in the army. And after that, they just hang out." "Spaniards can separate well when you have to be businesslike and when there is room for pleasure." Who thinks that the arrival of many Spaniards in the Netherlands is big news, will be disappointed. "There is no attention at all for that in Spain", laughs correspondent Winkels. "You read a short news item in the newspaper after a transfer or the appointment of Xavi and that's it." "It's not that special anymore. Spaniards have been moving abroad for years. And then the Premier League, for example, attracts much more attention than Dutch football." ## More to see? - ## Cruijff ignores meetings, but sets Ajax with big names - ## Xavi new national coach of the Netherlands, Barcelona legend signs for four years - ## Xavi's task: bring the Dutch School back to the Netherlands national team - ## KNVB has not spoken directly with Martinez, Reiziger in the waiting room