Rinus Michels was born in 1928. He represented Holland as a centre-forward in the early 1950's before turning his attention to management. At Ajax he pioneered and developed the philosophy of total football during the late 1960-'s which stressed the importance of versatility, adaptability and all-round skills. Built largely around the talent of Johan Cruyff, the system brought success in the European Cup in 1971 and 1972.  Their partnership was resumed at Barcelona, and then at the international level, when Michel's Dutch team, captained by Cruyff, reached the World Cup final in 1974 before losing to West Germany.  In 1988. Michels guided Holland to the European Championship, successfully integrating individual stars such as Ruud Gullit and Maco Van Basten into a disciplined and well-organized team.  He has also coached the Los Angelos Aztecs and Bayer Leverkusen.

Q: Mr. Michels,  I would like to tell our readers if you see a major difference in the game of football as it is played today, and the sport as a whole compared with the sport in your time.
A:  There are differences in the game  today because the rules have changed.  The attitudes of the players are different as well.  Years ago, the players played with a greater sense of pride and as many others have stated, the players played to win as opposed to playing not to lose.

Q: With regard to players, many consider Ronaldo to be the greatest player of this time what is your opinion?
A: There are numerous variables to consider when making a statement as to who one thinks is the "so called" greatest player.  If your criteria as to whom is the best player is based upon who is a more spectacular player, then I would have to say that Ronaldo is the best. However, in actuality, the most spectacular player is not always the best. The players who set up the goal are often overlooked, and it is they who have the most difficult job. Much attention is given to the forward but equally important (to scoring) is setting up the goal or creating the opportunity for the forward to score. For a team to be consistently successful it must be equally balanced in all positions and aspects of the game.

Q: As our magazine also focuses on the development of playing surfaces I'd like to ask your opinion of today's surfaces as compared to those of years past when you were playing . Also  to what degree does the grass surface impact on the players' ability?
A: The quality of the playing surface was always a critical factor. A well groomed  low cut playing surface is usually preferred because the ball tends to run smoother and faster.  With the advances in technology, the playing surfaces are much better than the ones years ago, particularly at the world cup level.

Videos	New Posters	CALENDARS	Books	Magazines	Games

                                                                                                                                             



 




                                                 Other Links

Trends in the Construction & Design of World Cup Stadia
Netherlands Football Links
Euro 2000 .- All the info you need for the upcoming European Championship.
European Championship 2000 (The Netherlands -Holland)