Good news:John van’t Schip has just announced, celebrating one of his best players…
The Dutchman made his choice known to the City leadership on New Year’s Day. When the club announced the news to the players on Tuesday morning, they were also aware.
Van’t Schip, 53, claimed that making the choice was straightforward but difficult.
“I have been faced with a choice between my family in Holland and my work here in Australia and there was only one right decision,” he stated in a statement.
Promotion
“I didn’t want my personal situation to have any bearing on the club.
“I have a lot of trust that this circumstance won’t negatively impact the club’s future because I am a part of a solid coaching team that has been painstakingly developed over the last three years.
“The club’s development since its creation will always be a source of great personal pride to me.”
In his first season as an assistant, Michael Valkanis has taken on the role of interim manager and will lead the team until a permanent replacement is found. The team’s home opener against Western Sydney is this Friday night.
The expansion team’s first coach, Van’t Schip, departed after three seasons because of personal issues.
After John Aloisi’s dismissal in December 2013, he came back to see a changed club.
Former underdogs Melbourne Heart had turned into mega-rich Melbourne City, and they had risen up the A-League table with the aid of foreign recruits van t Schip.
When City won the FFA Cup in November, he also managed the club’s first trophy.
With van t Schip in charge, City had made it to the finals the previous two seasons and were expected to finish in fourth place this time around.
However, considering the wealth at his disposal—including the extraordinary abilities of Aaron Mooy, Bruno Fornaroli, and, briefly, David Villa—van’t Schip has come under fire for performing poorly after losing in the semifinals twice in a row.
The integrity of van’t Schip is unquestionable.
Van’t Schip struggled with the choice for several weeks, debating whether to take a month off or terminate his employment early in order to take care of his family responsibilities.
