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"It's up to Martin van Geel"
Marcel van der Kraan
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Tuesday 07 October 2008
The call for the return of Nol
Hendriks at
RODA JC Kerkrade
is getting louder and louder, but the main sponsor and
former chairman says he will not get involved in the
crisis at his club.
"I vowed not to interfere
with the club's policy anymore. And that isn't hard
to do because with Martin van Geel we now have a great
Technical Director."
The multimillionaire, former textile
baron, admits that the downfall of his club hurts.
According to him and the fans the
team hasn't played well since December of last year.
The defeat at Heracles Almelo has
brought them to the lowest regions of the Eredivisie.
Hendriks thinks Martin van Geel
will change the course of the club.
All eyes, those of Hendriks included,
are on the Technical Director.
Whether that means if coach Raymond
Atteveld will soon leave, Hendriks will not say.
But all of Limburg
follows what is going on in Kerkrade.
Hendriks: "I hope Martin will
soon come up with a solution."
Roda's start of the season is reason
for concern.
Hendriks: "There are several
clubs who have had a bad start, but the situation of
Roda JC is very worrisome. Our bad spell isn't only
of this season. It's been going on for six months now.
First it was said to be because of the absence of Oper,
then it was the departure of Tioté or Lamah,
but I believe there's more to it."
Servé Kuijer is the chairman
of Roda JC, Huub Narinx general director, Martin van
Geel has recently been named Technical Director.
The latter is now expected to make
some big decisions about coaches and scouting and lift
the club out of their misery.
Hendriks: "He can do that.
I wasn't involved in his appointment, but I am very
happy that he is here. It is important that the club
now signs players that can bring us revenue. I have
done that job for 25 years. I could decide alone about
players and transfers, because I paid. Since 2½
years I act a bit more in the background, but I am still
a Roda-man through and through. But that does mean that
someone else with vision will have to help the club
on now. Because in all the years I did it, there was
a budget gap of 40% which I covered by buying and selling
players with a profit."
The financial success was paired
with some remarkable results.
Roda played European football against
AC Milan and in 15 of the last 20 season they finished
in the top half of the table and they had a top-6 finish
10 times.
It hurts Hendriks, 71, to see how
clubs like FMC Groningen, Heerenveen, FC Twente and
AZ are climbing up, while Roda JC are running backwards.
The bright new Parkstad Limburg-stadium
doesn't sell out anymore and the financial burdens are
a heavy weight to bare.
Hendriks: "Everywhere you
see the stadiums grow bigger and bigger. At Twente,
Heerenveen, Groningen and AZ the stadiums had become
too small so they increased the size. The differences
are getting bigger. We still are number 12 or 13 in
the Eredivisie when it comes down to the budget."
Several times he called for one
FC Limburg in a province where VVV, MVV and the almost
bankrupt Fortuna Sittard are struggling in the Jupiler
League.
Hendriks: "I keep arguing
that one club in this region is the best solution. I
remember answering questions of the supporters wearing
a bulletproof vest. But anyone can see that even in
the best days of the clubs in this regions the stadiums
weren't full. I might be a boat against the current,
but I am trying to help the club."
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