'Best friends' Hiddink and Tzveten: "We just support different football teams... but have many things in common"

Amsterdam-born Zweden "Ajax fan since age 7"
Coach Hiddink is a legend of Ajax rival PSV Eindhoven
"Football coach and conductor, professions that must bring out potential"

"I became a member of Ajax, a team from Amsterdam (Netherlands), when I was 7 years old, and I have been supporting Ajax as a member ever since. Coach Guus Hiddink has never managed the Ajax team that I support. That is a bit sad."

Jaap van Zweden, Music Director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO), said this when meeting his 'close friend,' former South Korean national football team coach Guus Hiddink. The meeting took place at the Hiddink Ambassador Appointment Ceremony and Press Conference held in the main conference room of Seoul City Hall on the 1st.

The SPO appointed Zweden, who is from the Netherlands, as Music Director on January 1 this year, and on the same day, appointed former coach Hiddink, also from the Netherlands, as its ambassador. Former coach Hiddink revealed that he has built a long friendship with Music Director Zweden and gladly accepted the SPO’s ambassador proposal based on that connection.

Former Coach Guus Hiddink (left) and Yap van Zweden, Music Director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra [Photo by Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra]

Music Director Zweden said that he and Coach Hiddink have many things in common, with the only difference being the teams they support.

Music Director Zweden was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 1960, while former coach Hiddink was born in the small Dutch village of Parssevelt, which had a population of only 6,000 in 1946. Zweden naturally grew up as a fan of his hometown team, Ajax Amsterdam. On the other hand, Hiddink is recognized as a legendary coach of PSV Eindhoven, Ajax’s biggest rival. He was an assistant coach and became interim head coach during the 1986?1987 season, immediately leading the team to a league championship. The following year, he was appointed full-time head coach and shocked European football by achieving a treble in his first year.

Director Zweden said, "When it comes to the friendship front with Coach Hiddink, everything is fine except there is a tense rivalry when it comes to the teams we support." He added, "We sometimes debate which team is better. This year, Eindhoven seems to be better, but in other cases, I think Ajax is much better," revealing their rivalry spirit.

Coach Hiddink said there are many similarities between a football coach and a conductor, and that common ground is why he became friends with Music Director Zweden.

"A long time ago, I watched a documentary featuring Music Director Zweden. There was a scene where the musicians were practicing in ordinary sportswear, and I thought it was similar to a football coach seeing how the conductor tries to bring out the maximum potential of the musicians. After watching the documentary, I called Music Director Zweden."

Music Director Zweden responded, "I call former coach Hiddink 'Maestro.' Since Hiddink is a legend not only in Korea but also in the Netherlands, I felt very proud when I first received his call."

From the left, Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul; Yap Pan Tsubeden, Music Director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra; Guus Hiddink, Former Coach
[Photo by Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra]

Music Director Zweden further explained that he and Coach Hiddink share many similarities in their views on life and values.

"We both empathize a lot about life and its values. We want to help people in need. Both of us understand the importance of helping those who need assistance."

Music Director Zweden and former coach Hiddink are working together in the 'Papageno Foundation,' which supports children with autism spectrum disorder. The foundation was established in 1997 by Zweden and his wife and connects professional music therapists in the Netherlands to provide home-based music therapy. Former coach Hiddink also founded the 'Guus Hiddink Foundation' in 2007 to help children with disabilities, multicultural families, and vulnerable groups achieve hope and dreams through football.

The SPO ambassador is an unpaid honorary position, and this is the first time the SPO has independently appointed an ambassador. Former coach Hiddink, who became Korea’s first honorary citizen and an honorary citizen of Seoul following the 2002 World Cup, will continue his special relationship with Korea as the SPO ambassador. He plans to accompany the SPO on overseas tours and promote the orchestra worldwide over the next five years.