As manager-of-the-month Ronald Koeman basked in the afterglow of Southampton’s biggest ever English Premier League victory this week, his former club in the Netherlands was taking the first steps towards entering the fast-growing Southeast Asia market.
Despite an exodus of key players in the close season, Southampton have defied predictions to sit in third position in the table after crushing Sunderland 8-0 at the weekend.
Before moving to England in June, Koeman was Feyenoord’s head coach for three seasons in the Eredivisie. He’s also a former player of the Rotterdam side, where he finished his career in the late 1990s after six years with Johan Cruyff’s so-called dream team in Barcelona.
Feyenoord’s youth academy has been voted the best in the Netherlands for the past five years and lists Manchester United striker Robin van Persie as its most famous alumni. No fewer than 12 Feyenoord products appeared in the 2014 World Cup, including Dutch captain Van Persie. The Netherlands squad, who made the semifinals in Brazil, boasted five current Feyenoord players – two more than Dutch champions Ajax, who are also renowned for their junior development.
Feyenoord have already moulded emerging talent in 10 countries – including India, where they have a partnership with Indian Super League (ISL) club Delhi Dynamos.
Now they’ve appointed their former striker David Mitchell to represent their interests in Southeast Asia.
Mitchell, an ex-Australia international who is based in Kuala Lumpur, played two seasons for Feyenoord in the late 1980s before moving to clubs like Chelsea and Swindon Town in England and Selangor in Malaysia.
A prominent coach in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) region who has managed Perth Glory and Malaysian side Kedah, he believes Feyenoord’s famous motto – “No Words, Just Actions” – could help transform youth development in Southeast Asia.
“Even when I played for them in the 1980s, Feyenoord were ahead of their time compared to England, and today they’re without peer anywhere else in the world,” Mitchell said. “My role is to establish the Feyenoord brand and academy in Southeast Asia.
Their proven system of high quality and intensive training sessions with quick thinking, quick movement and tactically intelligent play would suit Asian players better because it is based on skill and technical ability rather than strength and power.”
Mitchell previously worked as a scout for the club in the Asia Pacific region and was behind Brett Emerton’s move to Rotterdam from Sydney Olympic in 2000. Emerton would win the 2002 UEFA Cup with Feyenoord and then go onto play eight seasons in the English Premier League with Blackburn Rovers.
Some European clubs have been accused of dipping into the Asian market for purely commercial reasons. But Gido Vader, Feyenoord’s head of international relations, insists Feyenoord have a more holistic approach.
“To us, Southeast Asia is a very interesting territory and we’d like to see what we could accomplish,” Vader said. “We’re open to anything, from working with a specific club or association. Our record, when it comes to player development around the world, proves that we would have a lot to offer.
“We’re delighted to have Dave Mitchell as our ambassador because he’s played and coached in Southeast Asia and he was a striker the fans really took to when he was at Feyenoord.”
Sources told ESPN FC that a leading national association in the ASEAN region has been sounded out about a possible collaboration.
Mitchell’s former teammate Martin van Geel is Feyenoord’s director of football.
Former Barcelona and Arsenal star Giovanni van Bronckhorst – who graduated from the academy in 1993 and would become national captain – is assistant manager.
Other old boys familar to English Premier League fans include Leroy Fer of Queens Park Rangers and Daryl Janmaat at Newcastle United, while Jonathan de Guzman is now at Napoli after two years on loan with Swansea City.
Another Feyenoord product, George Boateng, is the current head coach of Malaysian Super League club, Kelantan.
There seems to be no end to the global tentacles of “De club aan de Maas” (“The club on the Meuse”).
But one man with no known Feyenoord connections is Manchester United’s new manager Louis van Gaal. He was born in Amsterdam and came through the Ajax system before playing the bulk of his Dutch career at Sparta Rotterdam and AZ Alkmaar, where he would work as head coach.
“Louis isn’t a Feyenoorder but we all respect what he achieved with the national team and wish him well in Manchester – it’s just going to take some time to show what he can do,” Vader said.
For sure, deeds and not words will count for Van Gaal in Manchester – and for Feyenoord in Asia as they look to make inroads into new frontiers.
* Jason Dasey is Senior Editor of ESPN FC, Malaysia’s most popular English language football website. Twitter: @JasonDasey