Young Ajax trainers tipped for Dutch coach job

13 July 2004

AMSTERDAM − Marco van Basten has been tipped as the most likely candidate to replace Dick Advocaat as the coach of the Dutch national soccer team. Van Basten will take the helm together with John van ‘t Schip, it was reported Tuesday.

Dutch soccer guru Johan Cruijff has according to newspaper Algemeen Dagblad urged the Dutch soccer association KNVB to appoint both men.

Van Basten, 39, is assistant trainer of Ajax 2 under Van ‘t Schip. Ajax 2 is the youth team of the Amsterdam-based Ajax. Van Basten played for Ajax and AC Milan before retiring due to injury in 1995. He was also part of Holland’s European Championship winning side in 1988.

Cruijff made the recommendations during a chat with KNVB director Henk Kesler in Barcelona. Cruijff was named as a KNVB adviser in the lead up to the World Cup in 2006.

Kesler reportedly travelled to Spain to sound out Cruijff about Advocaat’s replacement, Dutch public news service NOS said on Tuesday.

Advocaat resigned on 6 July in response to sharp criticism levelled against him during the Euro 2004 football championship in Portugal.

Despite criticism of the sluggish Dutch start to the tournament, the Netherlands eventually reached the semi-finals, only to be defeated 2-1 by the host nation.

Subject: Dutch news