Feyenoord troubles: Longtime manager Dick Advocaat brought in to rescue team
Dick Advocaat is the new head coach of Feyenoord. He signed a contract that lasts until the end of the season and is bringing John de Wolf and Cor Pot with him to be his assistants, AD reports.
Advocaat was brought in to replace Jaap Stam, who resigned on Monday after Feyenoord was floored by Ajax on Sunday. Around 300 furious fans gathered at training complex 1908 in Rotterdam and peltedthe Feyenoord bus with fireworks and glasses as the players returned home from the 4-0 loss in Amsterdam. There and on social media, Feyenoord fans demanded Stam's departure. "Jaap, please do us all a favor and fuck off", one person wrote on Twitter.
The new coach has a big job ahead of him to rescue this season for the Rotterdam team. Feyenoord is currently in 12th place in the 18-team Eredivisie, with 14 points after 11 matches and a -3 goal differential.
The 72-year-old former player started his managing career over 30 years ago, winning the 2008 UEFA Cup with Zenit Saint Petersburg. He managed the Dutch national team three times, taking them to the 1994 World Cup quarterfinals, and the 2004 European Championships semifinals.
He was brought in to replace Danny Blind briefly in 2017, in the unfulfilled hope the team could still qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
As a club manager, he won league titles with PSV Eindhoven, Glasgow Rangers, and Zenit. He also won national cups with all three teams.