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Dutch media: "Koeman is new Ajax head coach"
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| Ronald Koeman |
01 December: Ajax has not officially announced it yet, but
it seems to be a done deal: all major Dutch sports media have
announced with distinction that former Ajax player and current
Vitesse coach Ronald Koeman (38) will soon be presented as Co
Adriaanse's successor.
Holland's main sports TV show, Studio Sport, several
news bulletins on national TV networks, Dutch press agency ANP
and all major newspapers left no doubt in their reports.
Reportedly, the only reason why Ajax has not revealed the news
yet, is because Ajax and Vitesse are currently working out the
financial details of the transfer. Ajax has to pay redemption
money to Vitesse, because Koeman still has a one year contract
in Arnhem.
On VI Planet.nl, the website of Holland's main soccer weekly
*Voetbal International*, Koeman's personal manager Ger
Lagendijk confirms that negotiations are still in process, by
saying: "You don't settle a transfer like this one by fax.
Settling this takes a few days."
According to ANP press agency and newspaper de
Volkskrant, Ajax would have preferred to present Koeman in
Amsterdam on Saturday. However, Koeman does not want to leave
his current club, Vitesse, until the Arnhem club played the
away game at FC Utrecht, on Sunday. Vitesse is in deep
financial trouble since a few years. After the current season,
Koeman would be allowed to leave on a free transfer. Therefore,
Vitesse is expected to happily accept the redemption money from
Amsterdam.
On local radio station Omroep Gelderland, Koeman did
not want to talk about Ajax yet: "I am not giving any comments
at this point. I focus on Sunday's game."
VI Planet.nl reports that the KNVB was also after Koeman.
The football association considered him the perfect successor
of Louis van Gaal, who officially announced his resignation in
a sensational KNVB press conference on Friday.
On Thursday, as Ajax directors Arie van Eijden and Leo
Beenhakker announced Co Adriaanse's dismissal to the press,
they announced that Ajax was searching for a successor "who
knows the culture of Ajax, but is now working outside the
club".
Ronald Koeman is exactly that. Having started his
professional career at FC Groningen, he moved to Ajax in 1983.
He was to play in De Meer for three seasons, winning the
national title of 1985 and the KNVB Cup (now called Amstel Cup)
of 1986. He then moved to PSV. He won the European Champions
Cup twice, first with PSV, after that with Barcelona. He ended
his professional career at Feyenoord.
He played 78 games for the Dutch national team and was part
of the 1988 team winning Euro 88. Ten years later, he reached
the semi final of the World Cup tournament as Guus Hiddink's
assistant coach at Oranje. His move to Vitesse, in 2000,
marked the beginning of his career as a club manager.
When it comes to his philosophy about football, Koeman is
heavily influenced by Johan Cruijff, who convinced him that
football has to be played with wingers. Ajax has contracted a
man firmly believing in the traditional 'Ajax system' of
4-3-3.
Ronald Koeman is generally expected to be presented at the
Amsterdam ArenA on Monday and to make his debut as Ajax' head
coach in Tuesday's home game against Fortuna Sittard. (MP)
(Sources: VI Planet.nl, de Volkskrant, ANP, NOS
Teletekst, Studio Sport)
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