Sporting Kansas City announced yesterday a new contract for Manager and Technical Director Peter Vermes that will run through the 2019 season. Vermes is the winningest Manager in club history and has the eighth most regular season wins in Major League Soccer history. A two-time MLS Cup champion, Vermes is the only person to win the championship as a player (2000) and a coach (2013) with the same team.
Following yesterday's announcement, Vermes did a series of radio interviews to discuss the news. First, he was on 610 Sports KC's The Day Shift with Jay Binkley and Henry Lake:
He then joined Kevin Kietzman on Sports Radio 810's Between the Lines. The two covered a variety of topics including the contract extension as well as the U.S. Men's National Team. Here are a few snippets from the interview with the full podcast embedded below:
On the decision to extend his contract with Sporting KC...
"When you are an athlete, you have to think with a big ego because that is what it takes to be successful in the game. What I have found out is that when you are a Manager, you have to be selfless, because the game is not about you, It’s about the players and I’ve been very fortunate to be a part of this organization in a managerial perspective for almost 11 years now. The one thing that I’ve come to realize is that the grass is not always greener on the other side. You have two choices in this profession, you can either be a mercenary or you can be a builder and for me, I’ve always fancied myself more as a builder.
On the Sporting Club ownership group...
"They have an incredible vision. I love the fact that they want to build something that is not just a hit and run job. They want it long-lasting, they want it to be a dynasty and I share that vision."
On the city...
"I can’t say enough about Kansas City. My kids have grown up here. It’s been a great place to raise a family. My wife, myself and my two kids love living here."
On if he dreams of coaching the U.S. Men's National Team...
"One of the things for me is that I like to think I’m a very calculated person, especially in this profession. For me, a lot of different things would have to fall in place in the correct way. If the Men’s National Team comes up some time, I will deal with it at that point, but right now I think i’m in the best place that I could be in."
