The “Away Manager” column in a matchday programme is usually a predictable affair, filled with polite compliments for the host club and standard tactical clichés. However, page 6 of the October 2013 FC Groningen booklet captures a highly unusual and dramatic moment in Eredivisie history. The column is penned not by a permanent head coach, but by Martin Haar, the interim boss of AZ Alkmaar.
Just days before this match, AZ had shocked the Dutch footballing world by firing their head coach, Gertjan Verbeek, despite the team sitting near the top of the table and performing well in Europe. The club turned to their eternal, loyal assistant, Martin Haar, to steady the ship. But he wasn’t doing it alone. The text notes: “Vader Martin en zoon Dennis Haar zijn hierdoor als interim-coaches eindverantwoordelijk” (Father Martin and son Dennis Haar are therefore ultimately responsible as interim coaches). A father-son duo managing a top-tier European club is a remarkably rare piece of football trivia.
What makes the column truly special is Haar’s absolute lack of ego. Despite taking charge of a team competing in the Europa League against teams like Maccabi Haifa, he has no illusions of grandeur. “Let me first say that it is never nice when someone is fired,” Haar writes, defending Verbeek’s record. He then delivers a quote that perfectly encapsulates his career: “AZ must move forward. I am now—together with Dennis—interim trainer, but soon I will just be an assistant again.” It is a masterclass in loyalty and humility from a man who knew his exact role within the club’s ecosystem.
A Look into the Future
Martin Haar was true to his word. Shortly after this match, AZ appointed Dick Advocaat as the new head coach, and Haar quietly and professionally stepped back into his beloved assistant role, continuing to serve the club for years to come as one of the most respected right-hand men in Dutch football. His son, Dennis Haar, used this brief interim experience as a stepping stone. He would go on to carve out his own successful managerial career, eventually taking charge of clubs like SC Cambuur and Jong PSV. This single page in the Groningen programme immortalizes the brief, surreal week when the Haar family completely controlled the AZ Alkmaar dugout.