From the Netherlands: Marcel Brands to Everton considered pretty much done

Dutch magazine Voetbal International have a very lengthy article on Marcel Brands this week and they sound pretty convinced he’s off to Everton.

It’s stated although Brands says his work is never done at PSV, it ‘seems that way’, and they believe recent comments from the technical director show this.

Those comments were: “I am at the most beautiful club in the Netherlands and those who really know me know that I am very attached to people. That I should say to Toon, my secretary, the people in the scouting, in the training or to Phillip: I am leaving. I think that’s the hardest thing there is. I am tough, but at these moments I am very small. I have something special with so many people here. And they all give me a nice step, but I always feel like I’m abandoning those people.”

VI state: ‘His statements are in the knowledge that a departure to Everton is forthcoming and done.’

It’s insisted that Brands is not basing his decision to leave on money, with the explanation he never did that in his career as a professional footballer. When playing for RKC Waalwijk at the end of his career, VI say Brands had the opportunity to move to Japan on big money but decided to stay, despite relegation.

He then stayed at RKC for eight years as a director, before moving to AZ for five years and has now been at PSV for eight years. Brands’ loyalty is described as a ‘rarity’ by VI, who are clearly very impressed with the man.

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Ben Mandemakers, a backer connected to RKC for more than two decades, is quoted as saying: “That story (not going to Japan) typifies Marcel Brands. I asked him to become commercial manager with us after that year, a few months later he was already technical director and from 2000 also general manager.

“I saw a kind of honesty in him which is rare in football. In addition, Marcel is reliable, involved and he is very close to the people. The latter is his greatest quality. His feeling must be good, the rest does not count. He realises like no other that only if the feeling in the team is good can you succeed. This applies not only to the players on the field, but also to the team behind the scenes. Marcel makes that good feeling, he is a bridge builder and makes connections.

“Marcel has become the best technical director of the Netherlands and he’ll also succeed abroad. Marcel has a huge talent for the work he does.”