FRANK DE BOER SPEAKS TO FFT
The Dutch coach has put Palace troubles behind him and joined MLS’ most upwardly mobile side
How did your move to Atlanta United happen? First of all, because I was looking for a job! [Laughs] I’ve seen highlights and heard good stories about MLS. Quality of football is really important for me. When I met with Atlanta, I saw what kind of club it is and felt it would be a great fit for me.
Did you have to think it over? Not really – it made perfect sense. Their values are pretty similar to mine. They want to play attractive football and build their youth academy, but also try to dominate in the league. I had a bad experience in England with Crystal Palace but this is a calmer environment, although there is still pressure. And the structure here is much better. Instead of having to organise things off the pitch, I can focus on the team and on developing players. That’s all I want.
What did you know about Atlanta before now? It’s an unbelievable story! Only two seasons in the league and they won the MLS Cup last year. They are obviously doing something right here. From the president to the sports director, everything is clear. We have very good players and, in my opinion, one of the best stadiums in the entire world – it’s simply beautiful. This club is almost a template to follow: how to build a football club from nothing and have success straight away.
Is your task just to continue that success? Yes, but I’m confident we have a very strong team. There is a good mixture of youth and experience, with veteran players like [Michael] Parkhurst and [Jeff] Larentowicz being mentors for our youngsters. We’ve got some local lads as well as players from South America and Europe. And in Josef Martinez, we have the top scorer in the league.
“ENGLISH CLUBS WANT THE TV MONEY, SO THEY PANIC. I WOULD’VE BUILT A STELLAR PALACE TEAM”
Did huge crowds – averaging 53,000, which is in the top 20 worldwide – make Atlanta even more appealing? Of course. It was a huge factor. You’re always more interested in teams with a huge following, because it’s no fun performing in an empty ground. A lot of the stadiums here are packed, and that’s very positive for football.
Could you have played in MLS? No, I pretty much ended my career at 32 or 33 and just went to Qatar for the money. I like to learn new cultures, but this opportunity was never presented to me – until now!
Do your four league titles in a row with Ajax give you confidence that you can be a success at Atlanta? Absolutely, and I see the similarities. Atlanta want to create an academy that produces top-quality footballers. Maybe that’s why they’ve hired me – because at Ajax I won trophies but also developed young talents. We’ll do the same thing here. Fans expect results, of course, but it’s also about implementing a football philosophy that stretches beyond the first team.
Which was most special about your time managing Ajax? Winning titles was fantastic, but I also enjoyed the stability, implementing some of my ideas. I believe that after six months of management you start seeing the results of what you’ve put into the job. I got that at Ajax, but not at Palace. That’s something I brought up when I joined Atlanta.
How do you reflect on your short reign managing Crystal Palace? It was a negative experience for me, but I learned from it. They’d played relegation football for four years, but then wanted to change philosophy and attack. You need time for that! They wanted to be like Southampton, who avoided relegation, then played positive football the following season and finished in 8th. Those were the expectations, and I’m sure that if I’d had enough time, I would have built a stellar team. Unfortunately, some English clubs are just worried about losing £100 million from television rights and they panic, so I was fired.
As a great Dutch defender yourself, do you rate Virgil van Dijk highly? I really like Virgil. He’s very tall, but he can move quickly. He’s doing great at Liverpool. Virgil is more than a central defender – he’s a complete player.