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In the mid-1980s, I joined Ajax as technical director. This position was completely new in the football world. I was put in charge of a highly talented, young, and promising generation of players. This was a brand-new challenge for me. I wanted to apply the experience and knowledge I had gained during my active career to become successful as a technical director as well.
By working with great coaches and having developed my own distinct views on training methods during my time as a player, I was now able to pass this knowledge on to this new generation of footballers—a group that included players like Marco van Basten, John van ‘t Schip, Sonny Silooy, Rob Witschge, Dennis Bergkamp, and Aron Winter. I also chose to bring in experienced players like Ronald Spelbos, Arnold Mühren, and Jan Wouters.
I have always valued working with experienced people who hold strong opinions that complement my own approach; it creates the perfect balance. I constantly reminded the players that everything was a learning process—urging them to analyze and learn from both their successes and their mistakes. On the pitch, I relied on experienced players, and for my coaching staff, I chose practical, hands-on experts like Tonnie Bruins Slot.
Therefore, I looked for the right balance with these practical experts, but I also wanted the young players to undergo a learning process through other means. Tension and a lack of concentration are disastrous for good results. Tension can paralyze a person, making your legs stop doing what you want, and concentration is necessary to stay sharp. During this period, I asked Len Del Ferro for help.
Del Ferro had already made a name for himself as a singer, vocal coach, breathing specialist, and stuttering therapist. His method centered on focusing on the diaphragm muscle combined with a breathing technique he called flank breathing. To me, it is beyond any doubt that Del Ferro’s assistance played a major role in winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1987. His approach relieved tension, and over time, our focus on the pitch grew stronger and stronger.
Concentration and releasing tension were also the core pillars of the stutter therapy developed by Len Del Ferro. Len spoke to me at length about his method and always drew a parallel: with his stutter therapy, his students were engaging in elite sports!
I have reflected on this and reached the same conclusion on many levels. Many of the factors that an elite footballer—or any athlete in general—must consider, also apply to a student at Del Ferro. I notice this nowadays during my conversations and lectures for the Johan Cruyff Foundation as well. Del Ferro maintained that by focusing, his students gained control over their diaphragm, which prevented them from stuttering while simultaneously releasing both physical and mental tension.
There are parallels in other areas too, such as discipline and sacrifice. Elite athletes adhere to strict diets and highly disciplined lifestyles. However, while an athlete has dedicated periods of rest, a student determined to overcome stuttering must continuously apply the Del Ferro method throughout the entire day whenever they speak. This demands an iron discipline and a lifestyle completely dedicated to becoming stutter-free.
And then, of course, THE ultimate parallel: having a goal! An athlete strives for European, World, or Olympic gold. For someone who stutters, completely overcoming stuttering is their gold medal.
The parallels with elite sports span many areas. It is wonderful to see that through the Johan Cruyff Foundation, we share a common vision with what Len Del Ferro—and now his daughter Ingrid Del Ferro and her team—actually achieve: providing people with the support they need to develop both physically and mentally.
The approach of Len and now Ingrid Del Ferro has been of tremendous help to me and many of the people I have worked with.
Personally, I have never experienced any issues with speaking in my life. The Del Ferro Institute is successfully being carried forward by Ingrid Del Ferro. Follow the guidelines of the Del Ferro method and achieve your gold medal, so that speaking will never be a barrier for you either.