Monday, 15th December, 2014
Ronald Koeman has backed former club Feyenoord's methods of developing young talents over those of rivals Ajax, pointing at the Amsterdam club's signing of Christian Eriksen as evidence they do not match the Rotterdam club in bringing through Dutch players.
The Dutchman quit Feyenoord at the end of last season to answer the call at Premier League club Southampton, where he has made an impressive impact.
Feyenoord have been praised for their youth set-up, led by Wim Jansen, while Ajax's is modelled along lines laid down by Johan Cruyff.
A fierce debate has been sparked in the Netherlands about which academy is the best and Koeman is in no doubt that Feyenoord's should top the list.
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The current Southampton manager does not believe Ajax's academy concentrates on developing talents all the way through, with a preference for drafting in youngsters from abroad when the foundations of their game have already been built.
"The solution for training in the Netherlands is actually at Feyenoord", Koeman told Telesport.
"I know how Wim Jansen thinks. The focus is to make better players from six years old and make it better for coaches who work with those talents.
"It has been proved with talent continuously delivered. And it is not for nothing that the programme was chosen amongst the best in the Netherlands for five years", he continued.
"Ajax are doing something else.
"This is being worked on according to the vision of Johan.
"Everyone tells me that the A1 Ajax is so good, but Ajax also embarked on the road to buy the best young players abroad at the age of 16 for €500,000.
"In my mind that's not training."
And Koeman pointed to several players, including current Tottenham midfielder Eriksen, to contrast the difference in philosophies between Ajax and Feyenoord.
"Jordy Clasie was developed from seven years old at Feyenoord – that's what I call training.
"Not bringing in Christian Eriksen or Lucas Andersen. For those players the foundation had already largely been laid."
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