Former AZ Alkmaar coach proud of Reijnders’ rise: “Among the best in the world” | OneFootball

The former coach of AZ Alkmaar has spoken about Tijjani Reijnders’ development as a player, stating that he can become elite in his role.

La Gazzetta dello Sport have conducted an interview with Pascal Jansen, the former coach of AZ in the years 2018 to 2023, which would be when Reijnders decided to pursue new pastures and he joined Milan. He began by speaking about the ‘Duracell’ nickname the midfielder acquired.

“He never stopped, I had to tell him to stay calm and not chase everyone. It’s not a figure of speech, I assure you. The impressive thing is that not only did he run everywhere but he did it without losing clarity and quality,” he said.

Reijnders was among the best performers during Milan’s 3-1 victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, something Jansen believes has established him as a top player in his position.

“For me Reijnders is among the best in the world, ahead of him at the moment perhaps only Rodri and Bellingham, but he can surpass them. Besides, if he always plays like this…” he said.

Not everything was simple with AZ, especially at the beginning. After a couple of years with the senior team, he was sent on loan to Waalwijk, a decision Jansen obviously had a hand in.

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“There was nothing wrong with him, he simply had to grow and gain experience. I chose to send him to play. Before he left I told him ‘Go now and you will soon come back here’. And so it was.

“From the following year onwards he remained with us and I have never taken him off. Not even for a game.”

There are certain things that the 26-year-old does with Milan that remind Jansen of what he did when he was with the Eredivisie club.

“The assist for Leao on Saturday with Cagliari, I’ve seen him do it a million times across matches and training. I think back to the ball with which he sent Pavlidis through on goal against Anderlecht in the Europa League. It’s very similar, even there with the lob he needs a ball to push only into the net.”

When Jansen talks about Tijjani, he does so with a proud voice, enthusiastic about the path he has taken.

“I have always followed him, he is a champion of humility. These things are often said about everyone, just to say. In his case, however, he is truly like that. And in this, his family played an important role.”

Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images

In fact, his father Martin is a youth coach at AZ, while his brother plays in the Eredivisie, at Pec Zwolle.

“But no one ever put pressure on him or pushed him to become a footballer. It all came naturally. We were always aware that we had a nugget in our hands, it just needed to be managed with care and brought out.”

If AZ was the base camp, the feeling is that Reijnders has not yet reached his peak despite being crucial for his country and reportedly in talks over a renewal with Milan. He can still climb higher, Jansen insists.

“For me he is already among the best in the world, but if I close my eyes I imagine him in a few years with a trophy in his hand. Who knows, maybe even a title with Milan.”