"I pick you up at the station." It is Erik ten Hag offering a lift in his car once my train from Amsterdam arrives in Enschede, in the east of the Netherlands. It is delayed, but he doesn't seem to mind. Soon after, he pulls up in a silver Range Rover and gets out to exchange a handshake.
He has finished a day's work at FC Twente's stadium, De Grolsch Veste, where he is technical director. A short while later, he is driving us through picturesque Dutch countryside on the way to Ros van Twente, the hotel he co-owns with his brothers, Michel and Rico, and John Berghaan and Anita Stappenbeld, who run it. "They got married two weeks ago as a surprise," says Ten Hag, grinning.
Ad Content: Sky Sports customers can get a complimentary 12-month subscription to The Athletic, the chance to win sports tickets and much more through Sky Sports Rewards. T&Cs and eligibility details apply. Two years on from the end of his time in charge of Manchester United, Ten Hag is in a relaxed mood.
As we weave through the flat fields, he provides a history of the place. "The Germans were here in the Second World War, but also the English and Americans afterwards - they lived here on the base of the military airport," he says. Heaven is a Place on Earth by Belinda Carlisle comes out of the speakers as his car stereo goes through a 1980s playlist.
"In this period it was real music; now everything is computer," he adds. He moves on to a devastating event in the year 2000 that affected him while playing for FC Twente. A fireworks depot that supplied pop concerts exploded, killing 23 people, including four firefighters, injuring 950, and destroying 400 homes.
Ten Hag says it was lucky the blast didn't hit the propane drums at the Grolsch brewing factory on the outskirts of town; otherwise, the damage would have been even more severe. Twente's training ground was close by and players' families and friends were hurt, but the club ordered the squad to complete their final match of the season the next day, a trip to Feyenoord. Afterwards, Ten Hag gave an interview to broadcast media and criticised the executives.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
