Johan Walem is currently the national coach of Cyprus. Last weekend he moved to Luxembourg and spoke to us.
Johan Walem was pleased to see some of his former players make their debut in the selection of Roberto Martinez. A crowning achievement for Walem’s work at the U21. “Can this generation take over? I don’t know, but to be honest, what we’ve been experiencing in Belgium over the past 4-5 years is exceptional”, the Cyprus coach explains. “Those young players are fabulous: breaking through in the main force despite their young age!”
A matter of talent, but also a good cup. “Mentally these guys are really strong. The intrinsic talent of guys like Jérémy Doku, Alexis Saelemaekers and Zinho Vanheusden is immense.”
Euro 2020, the last chance?
The responsibilities on the shoulders of Walem and his successor Jacky Mathijssen are all the greater since the golden generation will ever be over. “In my opinion, two chances have already been missed for a group with so many individual qualities”, said the former national coach of the Young Devils.
“The clock is ticking, but we shouldn’t just look at ourselves. The other countries are also evolving. We don’t know where the competition will be and how our players will do in 2, 4 or 6 years”, he concludes.
