Willems Reflects on Advocaat: 'It's Still a Trauma for Me...

Jetro Willems reflects on his time under Dick Advocaat and the coach's influence on his career, especially during the World Cup with Curaçao.

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Jetro Willems holds Dick Advocaat in high regard. The Dutch full-back with Curaçaoan roots worked under him during his time at PSV. The current head coach of Curaçao, who was eliminated from the World Cup on Thursday night, was not always lenient with Willems. In an interview with VI, Willems discussed his experiences during Curaçao's World Cup adventure. At one point, Advocaat was mentioned. 'I spoke to Advocaat before the World Cup at one of the training sessions. "I haven't heard that voice in a long time," I told him. "It's still a trauma for me." He had to laugh a bit about it.' The two worked together in the 2012/13 season. 'Advocaat could be strict with me at PSV,' Willems recalled. 'That was sometimes tough, but he had our best interests at heart. He is a good man and an excellent coach. His great strength is that he can motivate players. That is crucial, especially with a national team where you often don't have players for long.' This is why the 78-year-old coach and Curaçao make such a good match. 'Advocaat can keep the guys on their toes, which he has proven several times. He demands a lot from his players and often knows how to get the best out of their abilities.'