John van ’t Schip: “We want to build a national team that all of Kazakhstan can be proud of”

– Sälem, Kazakhstan! First of all, I really want to thank the KFF for giving me this great opportunity to come here and help develop the team, together with the coaching staff and all the people involved. I accept this challenge with a lot of honour and I am very enthusiastic about the weeks and months ahead. It is going to be hard work, but I know that the people of Kazakhstan are fighters and they love working hard. Together we have to find a way to implement that in a good way in the team, to get the results that we want, because we all want to see a team that we can be proud of.

I am sure that with the effort we will put in together with the staff and the leadership, we will get as soon as possible the knowledge that I need about the team, about the league, because the games are coming quickly ahead of us. I know that Kazakhstan football has made progress in recent years, and we want to continue this progress.

I will look at players that I think are the ones that deserve to play. They have to be fit, they have to be ready for the challenges that are ahead, because there are some important games that are coming in the Nations League.

I am very eager to start working. There is a lot of work to be done – travelling, watching matches, planning the training sessions and talking to the players. Rakhmet!

– Which Kazakh players are you already familiar with? What can you say about Dastan Satpayev, who recently joined Chelsea?

– Of course, I have heard of him. He is a very young and talented player who has joined Chelsea. At the moment, I don’t want to go into specific names – as I said, we will discuss this with the coaching staff in the coming days and weeks when we take a closer look at all the candidates. Where possible, I will try to speak to the players personally.

But of course, I know that Satpayev is a young and talented player. I hope he will get plenty of playing time at Chelsea and benefit the national team.

– What kind of football do you want the Kazakhstan national team to play under your leadership?

– In football, you don't have only defence and offence – it is all part of one whole. At the moment, it is very important for me to analyse the team together with the coaching staff. Of course, I have my own idea of how I want the team to play. I grew up in Holland, where I used to play, but I also have experience of working around the world, in different places. For sure, it will be a mix of discipline, fighting spirit – I am not worried about that – but also creating the football I want to see. It is not always going to be easy, because you know the national team coach is a little bit more limited in terms of time, but the players we select have a certain level, so they should be able to adapt quickly to our requirements.

– What aspects of the Kazakhstan national team’s game do you consider key to its further development, and what do you plan to focus on in your work?

– Together with the coaching staff, we are going to analyse where we think we can put a little bit more into the team, to understand which aspects need to be improved and where things are already working well and do not require major changes. As I said before, it is very important to find the good balance in the team. Football is not only about attacking and it is not only about defending.

I think it is good to have a team that is clear about what they have to do on the pitch, to have some rules attack-wise and defence-wise, and work on them every day with the team. In addition, I plan to speak to the players individually to get to know them better and help them develop.

Kazakhstan has talented footballers and a fighting spirit, and we have to put it together. We all saw this at the World Cup: for example, countries such as Cape Verde, with a lot of fighting spirit and qualities, can really reach a high level.

As for Kazakhstan, it is attention to detail and discipline on the pitch that can be the factors that help us to get a result.

– How would you assess the mentality of Kazakh footballers, and what kind of atmosphere do you want to create within the national team?

I believe that Kazakhstan’s sporting culture has shown on many occasions, both in individual and team sports, that with the right mindset, you can achieve the best possible results. From what I have learned and heard so far, as well as from my discussions with the coaching staff, the team has always had a fighting spirit. And that is a very important foundation on which we can build our work going forward.

Of course, together with the coaching staff and drawing on my own experience, I will work with each player individually as well as with the team as a whole, to prepare them in the best possible way for the upcoming matches.

The most important thing is to create the right atmosphere and positive energy within the team, so that the players feel free, can express their strengths and talent, but at the same time remain within the framework of team discipline. That is the balance we want to find. I was a player myself and have been working as a coach for many years, so I understand how important it is for players to step onto the pitch with a clear mind, without any unnecessary burden, and to give everything for their country while showing their best qualities.

That is what we will work on when we bring the team together, as well as during individual conversations with each player.

– It has been 35 years since Kazakhstan last played at a major international tournament. Do you believe you can help the team change it?

– My job is to take responsibility for the team. That is why I am here.

The most important thing now is to keep believing, work hard and continue to develop. In the short time I have been here, and from the conversations I have already had, I have seen that everyone involved in the development of football genuinely wants the same thing – to see Kazakhstan compete at a major international tournament.

Of course, we cannot simply say that this will definitely happen right now. But I am very proud to be part of this process and to be able to help turn this dream into reality.

Whether it happens in four months or in the coming years, nobody knows. But I am sure that the most important thing is to keep believing, work hard and never stop developing.