Head coach Roger Schmidt was welcomed by Willy van der Kuijlen at PSV just a year ago. Over the past week, it once again became clear to him what Mister PSV meant to the club Schmidt now leads. 'I hope we can honor his merits for the club on Saturday,' Schmidt said Friday during his preview of the match against FC Groningen.
The very best
In his announcement video, Van der Kuijlen greeted the German last year at Philips Stadium. After his passing, Schmidt delved into what Van der Kuijlen meant to the club. "Enormous," was Schmidt's conclusion. "It is perhaps the very best player who ever played for PSV. His statistics as a football player are fantastic."
Supporters
With a win, Schmidt hopes to give Mister PSV a fitting tribute. Earlier this week, he and several staff members and players already laid a wreath at Van der Kuijlen's statue near Philips Stadium. Not only that makes the game special beforehand. The fact that there will be 4,000 supporters at Philips Stadion on Saturday also makes PSV - FC Groningens special. "After a long period without supporters in the stadium, it is so nice that they can be there again. It was a strange sensation to play almost a whole season without support from the stands. We have been looking forward to this moment," Schmidt said.
Good for
His team is in good shape, according to Schmidt. "We had a good training week. A number of players, including Marco van Ginkel and Armando Obispo had some complaints, but they too have rejoined the group. After a few days of rest, we could work with fresh energy toward the final phase of the season," said Schmidt who also reiterated full commitment to second place with PSV. "That's the only thing I'm working on. Five wins."