PSV's innovative goal kick inspires European coaches, says Zwart

Pieter Zwart, head of PSV, was inspired by a goal‑kick tactic of number 16 from the second Bundesliga. The maneuver, originally developed by Holstein Kiel and, via STVV, ended up with coach Peter Bosz, has influenced coaches across Europe last season.

Bosz's tactical twist after Telstar loss

After a defeat to Telstar, Peter Bosz realized that PSV struggled to apply pressure. Together with his staff he analyzed exactly what the opponent was doing and decided to develop his own variant.

That variant was launched during the spectacular victory over Napoli, in which PSV played a dominant role.

During a goal‑kick by Matej Kovar, PSV sent eight players to the opponent’s half, while only the two centre‑backs stayed with the goalkeeper. Bosz explained: ‘If you hold a three‑against‑two on a field of sixty by eighty, every player in the middle will say: “Coach, just stay in the middle yourself. We’ll never get the ball anyway.”’

Other coaches quickly responded with counter‑measures, causing the effectiveness of PSV’s variant to decline. Against FC Twente, Kovar recently sent more than half of his passes far forward, often resulting in loss of possession.

Therefore Bosz is now looking at other teams for inspiration, a trend that continues to influence European coaches.