Advocaat takes charge of Feyenoord after Stam exit

Feyenoord have named Dick Advocaat as their new head coach following the departure of Jaap Stam.

Former Manchester United defender Stam stepped down after a 4-0 Eredivisie defeat to champions Ajax on Sunday left them 12th in the table after 11 matches this season.

Advocaat has been appointed on a deal that will run until the end of the season and brings in Said Bakkati, Cor Pot and John de Wolf as assistant coaches. Jean-Paul van Gastel, Roy Makaay and Denny Landzaat will leave their positions.

“If I can help the club, I’ll gladly do so,” Advocaat told Feyenoord’s website.

“I look forward to meeting the team tomorrow [Thursday] and to be out on the pitch with them.”

27% – Only Pim Verbeek (19%) and Gunder Bengtsson (26%) recorded a lower win percentage in the Eredivisie as Feyenoord manager than Jaap Stam (27%). Out. pic.twitter.com/WkLVDlLlXc

— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) October 28, 2019

Ajax technical director Sjaak Troost said: “After Jaap Stam’s departure, we had to make a change quickly. If a coach with a huge track record like Dick Advocaat is available and willing to help the club for this season, you naturally don’t have to think about it for long.

“With his experience, authority and drive and with a largely renewed team of assistants, we are confident we will find our way up.”

Advocaat, 72, most recently took over at Utrecht last September and steered them to sixth place in the table.

He has previously been in charge of PSV, Rangers, Zenit and Fenerbahce, as well as the national teams of Netherlands, UAE, South Korea, Belgium and Serbia.

Feyenoord, who have won only two of their past 11 games in all competitions, face VVV on Sunday.