Jansen: My rows with board made me quit on a high
Wim Jansen has broken a 23-year vow of silence by revealing why he quit less than 48 hours after leading Celtic to the title that halted Rangers’ 10-in-a-row bid.
The Dutch coach turned 75 this week and announced he is suffering from dementia – but his life is chronicled in a new book.
Jansen was Celtic boss for only one season in 1997/98.
His appointment was greeted with derision initially but he formed a formidable partnership with his No.2 Murdo MacLeod and won Celtic their first league flag since 1988 in their centenary season.
More significantly, it stopped Rangers from becoming the first club to win 10 consecutive titles.
However, while celebrations were in full swing, Jansen stunned Scottish football by walking out on Celtic after he invoked a get-out clause.
The reasons have never been fully disclosed before.
But Jansen’s new book, which came out last week, ‘Meesterbrein’ (Mastermind) by author Yoeri van den Busken, reveals that a complete breakdown in his relationship with Celtic chief Fergus McCann and general manager Jock Brown left him with little option but to resign.
And he recalled that he never spoke with them at all for half of his time at Parkhead. Jansen said: “The truth is, I hadn’t spoken to the board from January that season.
“Everything went through Murdo. You can’t sustain such a situation. It takes up a lot more energy.
“I wanted to continue to build a team at Celtic but they didn’t want to spend any money.
“It got to a point that I didn’t want to wait for the next argument anymore, I couldn’t go any further.
“My gut told me to leave. And everything I do, I do by instinct.”
Jansen has only fond memories of his time in Glasgow where he also led Celtic to a League Cup victory against Dundee United in his only season in charge.
But he was stunned to discover
Celtic had got rid of their famous Three Amigos – Jorge Cadette, Pierre van Hooijdonk and Paulo di Canio – before he arrived.
He said: “When I agreed to manage Celtic they didn’t tell me anything. Whatever team you manage, if you sell your three top attackers, there is little left.
“Working with Murdo was blissful for me because I was able to let him do a lot. In team meetings I focused on the game and he did the analysis of the opponents.
“Back then you didn’t have the same information at your disposal but, because of the knowledge and work of Murdo, I knew exactly what to expect every week.”
But Jansen got off to a poor start and the critics were baying for him initially. Jansen’s son, Wim Junior, revealed that his father was reassured after a shock incident following a defeat by Dunfermline.
He said: “A supporter broke through the gates to speak to my
dad. The stewards panicked but the man just walked up to my father and said: ‘Don’t be a yes man.’
“That was his message. Set your own course.”
And Jansen began to get it right as his new signings, including Henrik Larsson, began to gel.
He recalled: “We turned it around by making things change and that will not happen overnight.
“We played Rangers in the second Old Firm game and equalised in injury time. In retrospect, those were crucial moments. If we had lost then the gap would have been too big.
“When we won the league it was special. It is always the people who create the atmosphere. That love is incredibly deep.”
And Jansen junior revealed his father is still revered by Celtic fans.
He said: “I get asked about him all over the world. The responses are like bible verses ... he stopped 10-in-a-row and brought the King of Kings to Scotland.”
‘Meesterbrein’ is published in the Netherlands. An English-language edition will be published soon.
I coul furt dn’t her go gut .. told my to me leav e