Sparta Rotterdam appoints Maurice Steijn as new head coach

Sparta Rotterdam has reappointed Maurice Steijn as head coach. The 50-year-old from The Hague was also coach at Het Kasteel between 2022 and 2023. Last year he started working at Ajax.

Steijn is the successor of Jeroen Rijsdijk, who was fired earlier this week. That dismissal followed a day after the difficult victory in the KNVB Cup against the amateurs of Hercules. The decision was only made in extra time: 1-6.

"I look back on a great first season at Sparta. I am happy to be back at this club, which has made great strides in recent years. The warmth I felt at Sparta during my coaching is still there. That is why it feels good to be back and to deliver a maximum performance together," said Steijn on the club's website.

There was only one and a half days between Rijsdijk's dismissal and Steijn's appointment. "We contacted Maurice on Friday afternoon and made an appointment to meet that same evening. Maurice knows Sparta's possibilities and vice versa, which allowed us to quickly reach an agreement," says technical director Gerard Nijkamp.

Steijn signs a contract until the end of the season and starts his second period at Het Kasteel on Monday. Sparta plays FC Utrecht at home on Sunday afternoon. Then assistant Nourdin Boukhari will be the interim trainer for the group.