Oranje Revolution for Toronto FC? By Charles Posted on January 3, 2011 1 0 962 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Several Dutch media outlets, including De Telegraaf — which isn’t a blogger speculation site but a reputable news organization — are quoting former Dutch national teamer Aron Winter, claiming he has a three-year deal with Toronto FC in place to take over as the new technical director of the club. But the reports also suggest that this will mark the first time Winter will stand alone as a coach. The Dutch tend to use technical directors and managerial tags interchangeably, so, on such early reports, something could be getting lost in the translation. There is speculation that Winter will also coach the senior club. Winter claims he was found to be the best of the three candidates for the job, and Ajax youth academy coach Bob de Klerk will come over to assist Winter. If true, this could mean that Paul Mariner, who left the manager’s job at Plymouth Argyle an was widely rumoured to be Toronto FC’s next manager, is out in the cold. Winter claims that TFC went with him because of his strong Ajax background; that TFC wants to build an academy and a football philosophy similar to the great Dutch side that gave the world Total Football. A former Ajax player, Winter had worked in the team’s youth system. If true — and TFC does indeed undergo an Oranje Revolution, it sets up a fascinating Nutrilite Canadian Championship tie with FC Edmonton. Under the yet-to-be-made-official new NCC format, FC Edmonton and TFC will meet in one semifinal, while Montreal and Vancouver will tussle in the other. FC Edmonton has coach Harry Sinkgraven pulling the strings, recommended to the club by former coach Dwight Lodeweges, who left Alberta’s capital to take a more lucrative gig in second-division Japanese football. FC Edmonton’s management is committed to bringing in coaches from the KNVB, as management feels no country produces better coaches for export to developing soccer countries. In FCE’s eyes, the Dutch system is perfect for a developing soccer club searching for an identity. So, if Winter and de Klerk are indeed coming to Toronto — and nothing has been confirmed by the club as of yet — a TFC-FCE match-up will be one heavily influenced by Dutch football philosophy. As in, pre-Nigel de Jong Dutch football philosophy.
