Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 11:02• Paul Jeursen • Last update: 11:02

Valentijn Driessen blames the sale of Cody Gakpo to Liverpool on the failing policy of the resigned director of football affairs John de Jong. He writes that in his column The Telegraph. Driessen believes that De Jong is largely responsible for the dire financial situation at PSV, which forced the club to sell Gakpo.

“Financially, a World Cup visitor can make the difference, but from a sporting point of view PSV had to leave a huge feather with the departure of attack leader Gakpo to Liverpool,” Driessen writes. “In the first four months of the current Eredivisie year, he was unprecedentedly dangerous with goals and assists. It resulted in a starting place for the the Dutch squad and a goal in all three group matches at the World Cup. With the departure of Gakpo, PSV seems to be the sporting biggest victim of the World Cup, although the transfer period is only open for two days and lasts until February 1.”

Driessen points out that De Jong can be right afterwards. He refused to sell Gakpo last summer and as a result, PSV was able to collect an extra €15 million on balance. “But that calculation is too short-sighted. PSV is forced to sell Gakpo due to the dire financial situation at the club, which starts in the red at thirty million euros on the first day of a new season due to the amortization of transfer fees. De Jong is just as responsible for this,” says Driessen. “In more than four seasons at PSV, De Jong failed as technically ultimately responsible. From his role, he has never provided such financial scope that PSV could say ‘no’ to Liverpool.”

During De Jong’s employment with PSV, the club never won the championship, never once qualified for the Champions League or reached the final of the Europa League or Conference League. “The club only won a KNVB cup and a Johan Cruijff Shield just before his departure. Furthermore, the director experienced two dramatic years with his revolutionary intervention in the coaching staff. With Roger Schmidt he organized everything in Eindhoven on a German basis. Without a future perspective. Among all De Jong’s purchases, there was not a single direct hit that could be sold for the top prize.” Driessen thinks that star player Gakpo has now left is a hard blow, especially for Van Nistelrooij. “Due to the necessary sale of Gakpo, he now pays the toll for the failing policy of his friend John de Jong,” said the journalist.