Heart and van ´t Schip part company

Melbourne Heart’s Dutch coach John van ‘t Schip will quit the club at the end of this season to return to his homeland.

The 48-year-old former Ajax and FC Twente boss has been in charge of Heart since the club joined the A-League in the 2010-11 season.

Heart chairman Peter Sidwell praised van ‘t Schip for his role at Heart in developing a culture and style of play.

“John arrived in Melbourne with a clear vision for the establishment of this club, as a proponent of the fundamental belief in challenging the status quo by demonstrating the importance of developing youth and instilling an ethos underlined by playing attractive, attacking football,” he said in a press statement.

“Drawing on the methods of former mentors Johan Cruyff and Louis van Gaal, John duly delivered on his promise, offering unparalleled opportunity for development and growth to some of our most exciting young talents, in addition to uncovering a number of diamonds in the rough.”

“We are grateful to John for his on and off field contribution to our club, and hope the end of his tenure doesn’t mark the end of a relationship, but simply an evolution of our current one.”

Van’t Schip has enjoyed his time in Melbourne.

“I’m very happy I could work in this type of environment, with the people supporting me,” van ‘t Schip said.

“When I look at all the players that came out today, it gives me a good feeling, and that’s one of the most important things.”

“Being here and working with all the people inside the organisation – not only with the players but also the people in the office – made me go to my work very happy every day, even if the results were not always the ones that we all wanted, also looking back at the last weeks. But that is sport.”

Van ‘t Schip does not believe announcing his departure now will have negative effect.

“I think it can bring more energy, even to the team and the people, because they know that something’s going to change,” he said.

“They know that we’re coming into the finals of the season… If it will have influence, I think it will be positive.”

Van t’Schipt enjoyed a successful playing career making more than 400 appearances for Ajax as well as earning selection for the Netherlands in the 1988 European Championships and 1990 FIFA World Cup.

He was then made a coach at Ajax’s famed youth academy before being named Marco Van Basten’s assistant for the Dutch national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and 2008 European Championships.