Atlanta United’s Frank de Boer said on Monday that he’s a better manager and person today than he was 2 1/2 years ago when he was hired to coach Inter Milan.
Fresh off winning four titles in five seasons as the manager of Ajax, de Boer’s time with the Italian club lasted less than four months. His next stint at Crystal Palace a year later was even shorter. Both clubs wanted him to quickly turn around a culture and put in a new playing style. He said it takes at least six months to do that.
He said he experienced less stress in 5½ years at Ajax than he did in just a few months in Italy and England, which caused him to start getting gray hair.
So, when Atlanta United approached him about becoming its next manager, it was important to de Boer to learn about the team’s culture and structure.
“I wanted that positive vibe and to keep it,” he said.
The more that de Boer learned from President Darren Eales and Vice President Carlos Bocanegra about owner Arthur Blank and the franchise, the more he liked.
“Philosophy, structre, core values ... everything was fitted to me,” de Boer said.
Eales said the core values of Atlanta United are similar to what de Boer had at Ajax, which is why he thinks this will be a great fit compared to Inter Milan and Crystal Palace.
“You have to learn from your mistakes,” de Boer said. “They weren’t as organized as Atlanta United. There was no cohesion between the departments. Everything was separate. Now, I don’t have look around. There are no dead bodies in the closet. Everything is clear and structured. It’s so much easier.”
Now, he will have a chance at redemption in MLS, which will start when the team opens training camp on Tuesday. De Boer said he will get to focus on coaching, which is what he feels he is best at.
Previous manager Gerardo Martino said many times that the ability to focus exclusively on management was one of the things that he appreciated about MLS and Atlanta United.
Like Martino, de Boer won’t be too active in player recruitment or signings. Bocaengra said that de Boer will only become involved in recruitment or scouting once a group of players has been whittle down to a small group.
“Very proud and eager to start,” de Boer said. “I had other options. I said to my agent that I had a good feeling here and I can do what I think I’m good at. That’s why I chose Atlanta United.”
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