No problems mate, I didn't take it as an arsey comment - I appreciate that not everyone likes the stories, but in all honesty I'm doing this primarily because I enjoy writing (as sad as that sounds!) - oh, and cheers for the support Carine. If you like trying to get inspiration from articles, hopefully this one can provide some ideas...I've put a lot into this one.
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Rotterdam’s favourite daily newspaper
The story behind the ‘rising star’ of football management: just who is Thierry Zvunka?
AD meets the young and exciting new Feyenoord boss
Another season, another managerial merry-go-round in the football world. By their very nature, transfers are tough to predict at the best of times, especially those of staff; perhaps the biggest surprise of recent times came after the conclusion of the 2012/13 Eredivisie season, with the announcement that Thierry Zvunka would take the De Kuip hotseat after a disappointing season for De Club van Zuid. Many people, both fans and pundits, didn’t know quite what to make of the appointment, as while the Scots-Frenchman’s rise has been impressive enough he is distinctly unproven at the highest level. What he does bring, however, is something that the loyal hourdes of Feyenoord fans have been craving for years…excitement, and by the barrel load! Overall, reaction tended to be cautious optimism with his arrival, but we at Algemeen Dagblad weren’t yet satisfied – it was time to find out just who this Thierry Zvunka really was. We met the new man in charge as the new campaign kicked into life, to get some background on the young gaffer touted as the next Arsène Wenger…
As a player, Zvunka never hit the heights. He spent a journeyman career touring the lower leagues of Scotland and France, with such clubs as Irvine Meadow, Pollok, Louhans-Cuiseaux, Toulouse Fontaines and latterly his boyhood team Clyde. Playing primarily as a left winger, he was unusual in that he was renowned for his tough tackling ability as well as his passing and trickery! During the final few years of his career, Thierry began to plan ahead towards a career in the game after hanging up his boots, sitting his coaching badges through the world-renowned SFA coaching system. He looks back on those days fondly, and it seems that they helped to form his footballing philosophy as a manager today.
“I lived and breathed football in those days, and still do, albeit in a different way. My curse was that I was a fussy player, in that I tried too hard and demanded too much of myself – when I didn’t get man of the match, my confidence took a bashing. Looking back, it seems petty, but that competitive streak has got me to where I am today. The whole reason behind my ambition to enter the world of management came with the realisation that I wasn’t good enough as a player to reach the top level, and my determination to get there by any means drove me on. What playing at those levels teaches you, however, is invaluable – I learnt humility, to appreciate each and every fan, and the importance of team spirit and unity. These things are all too often forgotten at the top of this sport in the modern game, but I will never neglect them.”
Starting his second career in the summer of 2009, just four years ago, Zvunka was surprisingly given the head coach position of France’s Under 21 side. The FFF’s appointment proved to be inspired, despite the doubters, as the untried young gun lead his talented youth players to win after win, culminating in being crowned European Championship winners. This spell would prove to be key in forming his managerial style, with youth becoming a key focus of his overall focus at club level.
“I was lucky enough to meet Raymond Domenech while touring around France watching the likes of Marseille and Lyon training, trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible. Our personalities clicked, and despite all my pre-conceptions of the man he was a gentleman. After chatting about my beliefs and plans for the future, he asked me to join the national team squad for their next friendly. In the end, he thankfully saw something in me, and had the faith to recommend me for the role – I’ll forever be indebted to the man for giving me my start in this career.”
“I loved being in charge of the boys. The success we achieved together, and the progress of each and every young talent as time went by, brought home the importance of developing youth players to me. I mean, some of my regular players improved and impressed so much that they landed moves to the likes of (Real) Madrid and Arsenal. Naturally, being a competitive sort, the fact that we were winning most of the time helped…I may well be the only unbeaten head coach of the U21 side ever! The other thing that I developed during my time in charge was my football philosophy; I always intended to be a manager that encouraged neat and tidy passing football, and this went on to become a now core belief in the virtues of possession-based attacking play.”
After success at youth international level, Thierry was keen to make his first foray into the world of club management. He finally settled on Scottish side Kilmarnock, taking over two years ago in the summer of 2011. As a club that was in severe financial difficulty and had just been demoted from the top flight, the Ayrshire side were an extremely tough ask for a debutant gaffer. Undaunted, Zvunka saw potential in a good youth system, and loyal long-suffering fans who craved for some better entertainment. He made his mark in style, winning the league and the challenge cup (for non-SPL sides) as well as reaching the semi-finals of both national cups in his first season.
“It wasn’t the easiest first job, looking back! I had turned down a few offers, as I was waiting for a challenge that really grabbed me – then Killie approached me. Here was a club that had potential, that had been through some tough times of late but hadn’t yet fallen too far to bounce back. I couldn’t turn them down. The first season couldn’t have gone better; in the end, the league couldn’t cope with the style of football, coupled with the youthful energy and passion, that my team produced every week. The only negative came from the finances, given that the debt remained hanging over the club like a noose…SPL survival was the only option going forward.”
…and he delivered, in fine style. An upgraded Killie squad shocked the more established order from the start, defeating champions Celtic in the opener, before settling in a comfortable mid-table position and reaching a national cup final. Despite losing said final on penalties, Zvunka maintains that he learned his most valuable lesson to date that night. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the 2012/13 campaign was Thierry’s emerging talent in spotting potential; his marquee youth signings, Jon Larrainzar and Henry O’Connor, arrived in Ayrshire for a combined total of £18,000. A year on, they have both moved on, and added a cumulative £4 million to the strained Killie coffers!
“I was so proud of my squad last season. We had by far the smallest budget in the league, and struggled to strengthen other than through free transfers and progressing the youth players, but we achieved survival comfortably. Not only that, but we did it while playing some really exciting stuff. Mind you, the biggest lesson that I learned last season came with a defeat, in the League Cup final. As someone who had been lucky enough to avoid the experience of defeat too often, it hit me too hard…I reacted immaturely, and it affected the squad in the weeks after as we went on a poor run. That night, I learnt that my competitiveness is an asset, but only if controlled in the right manner; showing more class in the aftermath would have been much more beneficial. In the end, I’ve learnt from my mistake, so it was a valuable lesson to learn so early in my managerial career.”
Zvunka achieved unparallelled results at Kilmarnock - can he bring similar levels of success to De Kuip?
Having left the French U21’s during his tenure at Rugby Park, Zvunka re-emerged on the international scene during the last campaign, this time stepping up to be in charge of a senior national team in Belgium. As we go to print, it is a case of so far so good for the Red Devils under his command, sitting atop group 8 of World Cup 2014 qualifying with just two games remaining. For a side that was merely expected to challenge for the playoff spot, this constitutes a spectacular success.
“One of my major ambitions was to take over a senior national team, so when Belgium came calling I couldn’t say no. With the squad still being reasonably young, and very talented, it has been too long since the country last graced a major tournament. Now, we’re withing touching distance of Brazil…the upcoming game with Sweden will be almost a winner-takes-all group decider, given that they then face Serbia in the final group game. I’ve taken the same mentality to the Red Devils, albeit having been forced to reign in slightly. Obviously, there is no-where to hide at international level, so I’ve given more support to the defence than I would at club level. It seems to be working so far, and long may it continue!”
So, now for the burning issue of today – De Club van Zuid, Feyenoord of Rotterdam. What can we expect for the future of our once-dominant club? Expectations remain as high as ever, will Thierry be able to cope with the first real expectations of his blossoming career? A quietly self-confident figure, who has a real presence in our interview room, he seems to have no worries; instead, it seems that all Zvunka can speak of are his plans for a brighter future, with no hint of doubt in their imminent arrival.
“When the offer came from the club, there was no way I could turn it down. I considered the job for all of 5 seconds, before accepting immediately down the phoneline! Feyenoord is still a massive club, no matter what anyone says; the facilities, from the expanding stadium to the training facilities, are world-class; the fans are ever-loyal and really get behind the players; guys from all over Europe would do anything to play at De Kuip, I hardly need to sell the club to any potential recruits.”
“However, this is not to say that we cannot improve – I’m aiming to build this club into the powerhouse of Dutch football once more, and we’re talking in the near future here. If we make the right moves, in terms of adding youth talent and developing our own young lads, the net result will be more talent and/or more money to improve the squad. Given that I believe my squad is good enough to challenge for the Eredivisie as it is, things are looking bright for the future of this great organisation.”
As we draw our meeting to a close, Algemeen Dagblad cannot help but be swept up in Thierry Zvunka's enthusiasm, and his grand plans and expectations for the future. Given that this represents his first truly big challenge in club management, it seems surprising that the fanbase are so confident of success with the Scots-Frenchman at the helm…on the other hand, it seems that we have also been caught up in the hype! Whatever the 2013/14 season brings, it promises to be an exciting time one way or the other with such a character at the helm of Rotterdam's finest.
