“The truth is I didn’t want to be a coach. It wasn’t just because I wasn’t interested or attracted. “It’s just that I didn’t want to continue in football.”
Certainly to address the impact that Dutchman Dick Schreuder is having as coach of Castellón We must first pay attention to the figure of Haralabos Voulgaris… and his taste for risk. The Canadian of Greek origin, based in Benicassim, became the strongman of the La Plana entity in the summer of 2022, as the visible head of a fund that acquired a majority stake. ‘Bob’ was linked in the past to the world of betting, “as an analyst”, and to the NBA, as director of research and development for the Mavericks in which, according to legend, he never had a good relationship with Doncic, which is why his rise in the Spanish football was marked by ambition. “I want Castellón to be able to compete with Real Madrid and Barcelona within a maximum of six years.” To achieve this, the first objective was to return to professional football. And it still is, because it was Alcorcón who was responsible for invalidating the first attempt.
I always dreamed of playing in the League; Now I have my chance as a coach
So he opted for Schreuder. “We have been following him for a long time and His aggressive, attacking and intelligent style of football is completely in line with how I want our team to play.“said Voulgaris, who gave him a contract… for four seasons!
First, the numbers. Outstanding leader in his first RFEF group, after scoring ten wins and a draw in 12 games, with the best scoring average of the four main Spanish categories (30 goals at half-time, 2.5 per game). “He is a very offensive coach, yes, but he also likes to have possession of the ball, even if it doesn’t seem like it, to play forward and to be in the opponent’s midfield. When we won 1-0 “He always looks for more goals”, they say in the dressing room. “Perhaps in the first weeks of pre-season the players were tired, because they were not used to these training sessions”, they further acknowledge.
“He is a close person. He communicates in English, although he is learning Spanish. The team’s history made even the international media interested in us and came to Castalia“, they explain at the club. “In my career I always dreamed of playing in the League. Now I have my opportunity as a coach and I feel honored at a historic club”, summarizes the bench tenant.
A knee injury interrupted his football career after playing six years in the Eredivisie and making his first move to England, specifically to Stoke. “I spent a few years in rehab and then worked at my father’s construction company, but I didn’t like it. A friend called me that he was going to start studying to be a coach and asked me if I wanted to join. It didn’t appeal to me, but he convinced me to give it a try.. It only took a day, because everything changed in my head. “I knew it was for me.”
The way we see the game we have a lot in common: Dick is aggressive and takes risks
First, he managed his hometown team Barneveld: “I wasn’t too worried about advancing my career.” But Edgar Davids claimed him for the Barnet coaching staff… English. From there again to the Netherlands (Katwijk in the first phase, Vitesse later), the United States (Philadelphia Union) or Germany (Hoffenheim). He arrived in Castellón after signing a promotion with Zwolle… and now he wants another one. “I try not to give too much importance to tactics. I think it’s more important that everyone feels united and works hard. I want my players to have the freedom to express themselves.“, emphasizes Schreuder, the Dutchman from La Plana. The leader of Castellón.
His brother Alfred, with Koeman at Barcelona
They are only 15 months apart, but Alfred is the youngest of the Schreuder brothers. He shares the profession with Dick, of course, because although he is currently without a club after leaving Al-Ain Saudi, he has also dedicated his life to the bank after hanging up his boots. In fact, he is an old acquaintance of Spanish football, as he was part of the coaching staff led by Ronald Koeman at Barcelona. He has also served as Ten Hag’s assistant at Ajax and, in recent years, has successively gone from first to second coach, also working in Twente, Hoffenheim (where he met Dick) and Bruges.
