In a special interview, we spoke with Belgian coach Steve Herbots, who previously worked in Seychelles and now coaches in Indian football. While Indian football may not be at the highest level, Herbots has made his mark. We wish him all the best in his future career endeavours, both in Indian football and beyond.
Seysoccer: Tell us about your current coaching job in India and the challenges you face.
Steve Herbots: At the moment I’m Head Coach and Head of Youth development in West Bengal for the club United Sports Club. We have two senior teams (one in the national league and one in the state league), and then we have a reserve team and all age groups. I’m also responsible for the development of football in our 2 schools. One of the biggest challenges is that the club doesn’t have a residential academy, as a lot of talented players can be living hours and hours away. We are also competing against some very big teams to attract those young players, as West Bengal has clubs who play AFC Champions League and are more then 100 years old. One last problem is that a lot of players come from very poor families and will always follow where money brings them, even if it would be a wrong choice.
Seysoccer: What are your future goals as a coach? Would you consider returning to Seychelles to coach in the future?
Steve Herbots: There some projects I’m working on, which one is finalising my coaching licences. And then I will have to make a decision, as some bigger clubs have asked me to become their coach here in India, but I would rather start some center of excellences to develop the best ever Indian players. If I’m honest, I don’t know if I would return to Seychelles, as my time there was sometimes difficult due to some unfair actions towards my person, even when I always tried my best to develop young Seychellois players, and when players still reach out to me, I’m always there for them, as do some parents. But some officials have always had a grudge towards my person, as I’m also someone who dares to say the truth if something is not going the correct way.
Seysoccer: Do you follow your previous clubs in Seychelles?
Steve Herbots: My first club I coached in Seychelles regrettably doesn’t exist anymore, Victoria City FC, but I still do follow Rovers FC, as many of my players I’ve developed are still playing for the club, as I’m following football in Seychelles a little bit in general, as I’m still regularly in contact with players who ask me how to improve their performance.
Seysoccer: Do you follow Seychelles football from India?
Steve Herbots: Yes, I do a little bit, when I have some free time, as my schedule is very tight, as I’ve now also become official match commentator for Indian matches on Eurosport, Fancode and Youtube.
Seysoccer: Compare Seychelles Premier League to Indian 1st Division.
Steve Herbots: The level of the several national levels here are many levels above Seychelles Premier League. There are foreign players here who played in La Liga, League 1, Champions League, Euro, … Also the atmosphere is many times bigger, as my biggest crowds I’ve now coached for are 30.000 supporters and some of the biggest matches here attract 70.000+ supporters.
Seysoccer: Have you thought about signing Seychellois players for your current club?
Steve Herbots: I have had some talks with some of the younger Seychellois players to come and train here, but playing matches for them at the moment is not possible, not even for the players in the national team of Seychelles. As the technical-tactical level is many times higher here. But it could have been an opportunity for them, but the main problem is that these youngsters don’t have the financial background, and here should Seychelles Football Federation maybe join in to help them realise this step. As it would really help them.
Seysoccer: Who was your favourite player in Seychelles and why?
Steve Herbots: There were several players I really liked, but I always like talking about teams and not individuals, as no coach wins titles with individuals, but only with teams. And my time at Victoria City FC was amazing, with 11 wins in a row, to snatch the title in the last minute beating St John Bosco and Real Maldives. And the party after was an even greater memory.
Seysoccer: How do you adapt your coaching style to different cultures?
Steve Herbots: First you need to learn who your players are, what is their background and then work forward direction a vision and philosophy that can get the best out of the players. Another big factor is Adaptation, learn to communicate with your players on and off the pitch, and give them believe they can reach their potential and the highest possible level in life and on the pitch.
Seysoccer: Can you compare the stadiums and the passion from the fans on matchdays between Seychelles and India?
Steve Herbots: Oh yes, as mentioned above, The passion in India is many times bigger then in Seychelles. I’ve only seen an almost filled stadium in Seychelles in the Nigeria match for the Afcon Qualifiers in 2018-2019. Most competition matches there is almost no crowd. Here, small tournaments are regularly played in front of several 1000’s of supporters, which makes it much more exciting to coach and play.
Seysoccer: How do they differ in terms of atmosphere and support?
Steve Herbots: Indian supporters are very fanatic, and there do enter the pitch regularly after a goal, dancing and celebrating in front of the opposing teams. But are most of the times respectful towards players and coaches.
Seysoccer: Importance of developing young talent in Seychelles and India?
Steve Herbots: In Seychelles, I started one of the biggest development movements in youth development, which afterwards some other academies started copying, but India is waking up, and could become a giant in world football, if they take enough time for it, which will not be possible in Seychelles. It’s also one of the reasons I left Seychelles football, outside of some of the unfair things that happened through some people who claimed to work for the youth development of Seychelles football, but at the end were only putting money in their pocket, which should have gone to the kids and further development for the young players.
Seysoccer: Lastly, as our interview concludes, could you share a message with your friends and acquaintances outside of the football world in Seychelles? They would be eager to hear about your personal life and any plans you have for the future.
Steve Herbots: For the many players and parents I have worked with, I wish everyone all the best in their dreams, and I’m always available for help wherever I can. I’m still giving the opportunity to help young players maybe come to India, make an MOU and send them here for their development and help them financially, as it will help the country also. And my further plans are to keep developing players to their best level.
Seysoccer: How does it feel to see several players from your former club, Rovers FC, being called up for the national team camp ahead of the World Cup Qualifiers against Ivory Coast and Kenya? Are you surprised by their progress, such as Matthew R., whom you coached when he was just 13 years old?
Steve Herbots: I’m not surprised at all, as the players and I worked for many years very hard and long to give them these opportunities, and if my time in Seychelles would have been longer, I would have been able to get much more out of these players for sure, as I would have pushed them to even higher levels in the world of football.
Seysoccer: Are there any talented players you’ve come across in India who you would recommend to clubs in Seychelles for potential signings? If so, could you tell us a bit about them and their skills?
Steve Herbots: There are many talented players in India, some of them starting their path to success in the lower divisions in Europe. But honestly I don’t think that the step direction Seychelles Premier League is the right step for them. As the talented players here should be looking to get transferred to J, K, or A League, or immediately direction Europe. Some of these young talented players here, have the possibility to play good levels in Europe, not the top level yet, but if the right center of excellences start here, there will be in the future world class players getting developed in India who will play at the highest levels.
Seysoccer: Was it difficult for you to adapt to everyday life in India? And what do you miss the most from your time spent in Seychelles?
Steve Herbots: Not really, as I’ve learned to adapt quickly to new situations, and at the club I’m being helped to the best of their possibilities. Sometimes I do miss the nature in Seychelles, and the beautiful women (just joking, and they are also in India), but since I’ve had some small holidays direction the Himalayas here, I know that one of my next projects could be in the mountains of India direction Bhutan, Tibet or Nepal, but that will be something that future will point out for me.
