Nils Koppen on Philippe Clement's impact at Norwich City...

(Pinkun)

Philippe Clement's impact at Norwich City did not come as a surprise to close confidante Nils Koppen, who knows first-hand how successfully his compatriot can turn a club into winners.

When the Belgian was named as Liam Manning's successor back in November, he entered a tricky wicket with the Canaries in crisis. They were 23rd in the Championship, despair was the overriding emotion and supporter protests had become a regular occurrence.

It felt like a broken club. It appeared to be an impossible job. Few could have blamed Clement, given his success and the weight of his CV, for turning his back and waiting for safer ground to continue his managerial career after a bruising end at Rangers.

But Koppen knows that is not the life Clement wants to lead. He worked in the academy at Genk as the City boss took them to the Belgian title against the odds in 2018/19, the first of three Pro League wins in succession, and linked up more closely at Rangers, where he served first as director of recruitment before his promotion to technical director in November 2024.

Clement's tendency to run towards a challenge like the one he inherited at Norwich speaks to the heart of his character, according to Koppen.

"Before he went to Norwich, he asked me, ‘Is this a good thing to do?’

“I told him that if you can get things going, it’s a beautiful part of the world, and the fan base is very passionate, so you can create a real vibe, and it can suit you. I think in the end he doesn’t regret his decision," Koppen said.

“Sometimes you have a match, sometimes you don’t. I think now it’s a good match. He is what he is, and I really respect that.

“He could have had a bigger ego with what he’s won, but he doesn’t — he wants to pick up the gloves and go in. This could have turned out badly — he could have taken Norwich down to League One — that is also a fact.

“But he wasn’t scared to do that, and that shows something about his personality for me.”

Clement's move to Carrow Road was met with shock in Belgium, not least because of his high rating there. Koppen shared that surprise, but felt a switch to Carrow Road could make for a match made in heaven.

“I was surprised because, in Belgium, we’re a small country, but he was one of the most hyped coaches and had won a lot of things at Genk, Brugge, then Monaco and Rangers.

“In the Belgian football market, he was regarded as the best coach, and I think, to be honest, he still is, looking at our national coaches. I was a bit surprised he went to the Championship for a team that was struggling, and everybody was saying, ‘What the f*** is he doing?’

“But I also told them he could wait for a Bundesliga club like Mainz or Augsburg, but if you can get Norwich going, it’s also a chance to get to the Premier League. In the end, he got it and isn’t regretting it for a moment.

“He also likes that English people are so crazy passionate about football, and that’s also what he is, so I think it’s a good match.”

But what hasn't been surprising is Clement's ability to take a struggling club, identify the problems and build it into a winning machine.

In 2026, only Southampton took more points than the 44 they amassed in 22 matches. Considering they had only nine on the board when Clement arrived, it was quite a feat, especially against a backdrop of injury crisis and shattered confidence.

Everyone knows the tale of what Clement did, but the how is less public.

“He keeps things basic and doesn’t overcomplicate things. He tries to address the basics, like behaviour, more than tactical principles, to get an immediate shock effect, and that also happened at Rangers, to be honest," Koppen said.

“We were in the title race and didn’t finish it in the end, but he’s able to create that shock effect, based on what the behaviours are that are needed to get people together and start to win. That’s a recurring theme wherever he has been. At Genk, where he took them into the title race and won it, Monaco had a good spell, and Rangers.

“I think in the first months, he’s able to really get a connection with the team and turn things around.

“If I were to judge him, his work is more on the human level, trying to get relationships and bond the team more than data. Data is important in this way of working, but if I were to split it, I think it’s more like 70 per cent tactical and human approach, and less data-driven.

“He tries to feel out what the situation is, how can we turn things around, how can we get the basics right to start winning? I think he’s very good at that.”

That personal relationship building is supplemented with a focus on raising standards, fitness and expectations within the squad he is overseeing.

At Norwich, his first day included a bleep test to assess the players' physical condition, and that theme is a constant in his work - as City's squad have discovered with a tougher schedule, fewer days off, and more focus on how they recover, with regular blood tests and sleep monitoring.

“When he came into Rangers, he was not satisfied with the physical output of every session. Previously, the guys liked shorter sessions, maybe a bit more intense, but he brought in longer, higher-volume sessions. He’s quite big on physical output in sessions.

“He wants to know the distance run, the high‑intensity metres, and he knows you need to really push them on that side,” Koppen added. "What’s quite difficult, if you come in during a season, is trying to change the physical approach of sessions, but he’s quite big on that.

“For the rest, on the tactical side, he takes a strong match approach — more on what the opponent is doing and how we can expose them in a certain way. He’s quite detailed on what the opponent is doing, how we can take advantage of that, and in the sessions before the game, going into detail on how we can expose them and create spaces where they are weak.”

Underpinning everything Koppen admires about the City boss is the complete lack of ego and a strong work ethic.

For all the trophies, success and acclaim that Clement has received during a coaching career that has taken him into four different countries, the Champions League and multiple cup finals, there is still a humility that enables him to connect with those behind the scenes in pursuit of driving the club forward. That isn't a given in modern football.

“He’s so involved, but he also trusts people. If he trusts someone, maybe it’s the same with Ben (Knapper); if he knows people have good hearts and good intentions, he will trust them.

“He wants to be involved in everything inside a club, whether that’s performance or scouting and recruitment. He doesn’t want to be in control, but he wants to be aware of everything," the former Rangers technical director said.

“To be honest, when I came to Rangers, I was not the biggest name, and he was a big name, but quickly, he respected me. That’s something I sometimes miss in football. There are coaches who think they’re Jesus and know everything, but he’s just a guy who thinks, ‘I can trust these guys, I can work with these guys, let’s do it together.’

“That was very uncommon, and I really respect him for that. Even in tough times at Rangers, he still extended his contract and tried to make things work.

“We had difficult decisions to let top players go, tough calls, and I don’t think it was fair what they did to him in the end, with all the effort he put in. They might regret it now if you see him at Norwich. I can only speak positively about him.”

Now Clement has thrown himself into the challenge at Carrow Road, Koppen doesn't see a scenario in which he would depart before the job of taking them back to the Premier League is through.

“He likes success. He goes on the pitch, he gets the appreciation from the fan base, and you see the team appreciates him. He likes that vibe and wants to be part of something," he said.

“He’s also a guy who is totally not interested in moving on, because he feels he can do something here. He’s very quickly attached to a certain environment. You need to get that as a coach. You need to understand the atmosphere and culture, and he’s quite good at feeling what’s needed to make the next steps.”

“The last time I spoke to him, he was very, very happy about the quality of the people around him, the staff, the players, the city, so he’s really bought into it. He’s also very loyal to that, and I really respect that, because after this season he could have said, ‘If something else is out there, let’s make a jump again,’ but now he’s out of his mind saying, ‘I want to bring them up,’ and I think that’s quite a special thing for a manager to say.”

That final sentence from Koppen will chime loudly with Norwich fans, who believe Clement can build a team that puts smiles back on faces and competes at the top of the Championship next season.

Posted By: DrDublin on June 10th 2026 at 08:36:37

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