Since his arrival at Olympique de Marseille at the end of September 2007, Eric Gerets has managed to instill confidence in his players. Having seen a radical turn around in behavior and the complicity that links the players to the coach, the magazine Foot Citoyen wanted to find out a little more about the method used. The Belgian coach does not talk about technique, nor tactics, but affection, respect, honesty, work and solidarity... the keys for getting the message across!

Do you have a different relationship with the captain of your team?
I speak to him about organisation, discipline, of specific problems he might have noticed, the state of fatigue of the players...Because if you ask a player in training if he is tired, he will always tell you no, whereas the captain will tell you the truth. I don’t just have one captain though, I have four... Guys who are natural leaders.

How do you make your choice?
It comes automatically. You can’t go out and say  : « You, you will be my leader. ». With experience, a coach can quickly detect which players have influence over the others.

What do you have to say about refereeing decisions?
Even if I don’t agree with a decision, I have had a good education and I have to respect them. You have to remain sporting and correct with everybody. Anyway, from the bench you cannot see everything. Decisions are taken and sometimes they are not good ones. You cannot say that referees everywhere are bad. For me, at least, that is not the case. Of all the people involved, they probably have the most difficult task. So after a defeat where your team has played badly, the referee is an easy target. I won’t accept that.

What would you like your players to remember you for?
That I respected them, at the same time as getting everything I could out of them in every minute of my work. If I manage to get that into their heads and that they do not forget it, it wouldn’t be too bad.

« I ALWAYS TELL MY PLAYERS, IF YOU ARE ANNOYED YOU CAN COME AND SEE ME ANYTIME YOU WANT ”. »

This interview is taken from an issue of the magazine « Foot Citoyen » (available by subscription) all about the keys of « transmitting » a message from the coach to the player. A special edition rich in accounts which reveal that players rarely forget their coaches when their attitudes are a mix of honesty, hard work, conscientiousness, tenderness, benevolence and strictness. Also when the coach has proven that he is there for the player before anything else.
For more info : click here

Respect, is that the basis of a relationship between a coach and his players?
In sport, as in everyday life, if you do not respect others, you cannot respect yourself.

How do you react in the face of a lack of respect?
I try to stay calm. It happened to me once with Karim (Ziani, at half time of the game between Carquefou and OM). As a principle, I don’t really care what is written in the papers, as I don’t need people to say good or bad things about me to know who I am. I am somebody who is completely opposed to violence! So when I read the « rubbish » that was printed in certain papers, well it hurt me. Not only in France, but also at home or in Holland, where I have already worked and I could work there again in the future. On the human side of things it really hit me hard...Even though I didn’t touch the player and he didn’t touch me, writing things like that is a total lack of respect towards me. It’s worse than someone coming into the dressing room and screaming at me. That’s just someone who has lost the lot at that particular moment, ten minutes later it’s all forgotten. I’ve always said to the players  : « You can come and shout at me if you are angry anytime you want... ». I just want it to be constructive.

Do they often come to see you?
Yes, if someone has a problem they will knock on my door. Happily enough, there are not too many problems...Since I’ve been here, things have gone pretty well.

« HONESTY IS THE BASIS OF EVERYTHING  »

We have the impression that you often have to play the psychiatrist. Some clubs use specialists for those things. What do you think about that?
I’m not sure that someone from the outside would have the same influence as me on a player as you need to win their confidence. I think that is one of my strong points and I’ve built a part of my career on that. Now, if I realize that I cannot find out the « reason » a player is down, I’m not going to refuse a little help. I’m not here to say that I am the « king ». For example, looking at the preparations for next season, I’d like my players to be in peak condition for the kick off, and I also know that I don’t have the studies behind me to make that possible. So, where going to look for somebody from the outside who has the wherewithal to make that happen. If a psychiatrist can tell me that a specific player has a problem and that he can sort it out, there is absolutely no problem. I’ve already been there, and that experience caused more bad than good. When it’s collective it’s not good. On an individual lebel it can be interesting.

Have you already been in a situation where you could do nothing for a player?
There are certain situations that are more difficult that’s for sure. I have 26 players and can only take 15. It’s a dilemma for a coach. I’ve brought out Valbuena, but it’s not down to me, it’s down to him. I just gave him confidence. Afterwards, it’s him that is putting in the performances.

But when someone can’t open up to you?
When someone is like that, there is a reason for it. You mustn’t change his way of being. If he feels better like that, you cannot try and change him. Benoît Cheyrou is someone who is pretty introverted, but he feels fine in himself and his performances prove that.

Do you talk the same way to the substitutes as you do to the first choice players?
I pay closer attention to the players who are on the bench. I’m sure that I am the coach who uses the biggest number of players. If something isn’t going right in the game, I will, with total confidence, put on a sub as i know he will not let me down.

A substitute has as much of your confidence as a player in the starting line-up...
If they know one thing, it is that. They know I don’t care about names, but that they wil play if they deserve to.

If you had to sum it up the transmission between a coach and his players...
I’d say that honesty is the basis of everything. Whatever you have to say, good or bad... if you are honest, you will find the solution.

After your professional experiences, could you see yourself going back into the amateur world?
At this precise moment, I’d have to say no. I will surely leave this job in four years time, perhaps at some point in time I will start missing football and then I could go and train some kids.

Interview conducted by Jérôme Perrin

THE GERETS METHOD
INTERVIEW (PART ONE)
The magazine Foot Citoyen has consecrated a special edition to the "transmission" of a message to players from their coaches. Eric Gerets gave a long interview to the magazine, unveiling his method.
Part one of the interview >>> Lire