Just before the award ceremony, winning coach Vincent Heilmann took a moment to reflect on the tournament victory with a big smile on his face.
Title defense, not only for PSV but also for you as a coach. That must be something to be proud of?
Last year, I came back here on August 16 after being away for a while. I had just had one training session, and we won the tournament. This year, we had a full preparation period, so it's great to end it like this. But above all, I am incredibly proud of this team.
How did you prepare the players for this tournament?
We have a very young team, and we focused on providing them with a framework and then giving them the freedom to play according to their individual preferences. We analyzed each game and lived game by game. Our greatest strength has been using everyone in every match. We made many changes intentionally to keep everyone involved and fit when needed. That has been the key.
Do the players experience it that way too?
Yes and no. Ultimately, every player wants to play as much as possible. By handling it this way as a team, players also become mentally stronger. The word "together" was used a lot this weekend, and that's why I believe the team won this tournament together. I strongly believe in that. In the end, it's a team sport, and every individual wants to be the best version of themselves. But if you achieve it together, everyone can be their best version and then you have a chance to succeed.
This success was partly achieved through two penalty shootouts today?
Yes, that's absolutely true. Thirteen penalties were taken flawlessly, and compliments go to goalkeepers Stijn Kuijsten and Tijn Smolenaars. We didn't specifically train for it. It’s more about the mental aspect. How do you prepare for a penalty? How do you get into your own flow to ensure you score? Everyone does it their own way. I don’t believe much in practicing penalties.
Did you pay any special attention to the experimental rules used in this tournament during your preparation?
We discussed it briefly in the last training but didn’t train specifically for it. Many of the things are already part of our playing style. For example, we often want to quickly restart play from a back pass, and we do that now. We also want to be quick to respond to the opponent’s back pass. The rules align with our playing style. We did analyse in detail what to do when we are a man up or a man down, similar to how we would prepare for a red card in the league. The players applied this very quickly and effectively.